News — September 2026

One Month Until NAMIWalks Silicon Valley 2026

Advocacy. Awareness. Together, we are NAMIWalks.

DATE: October 3, 2026
TIME: 9 A.M.–1 P.M.
Registration: www.namiwalks.org/siliconvalley

On Event Day, please head to the Registration tent and a NAMIWalks volunteer will mark your attendance.

Tip: After registering, you may download the “Fundraise4NAMI” app on your mobile device in your app store. On this app, you’ll be able to access your NAMIWalks profile and event information.

Food and Drinks Available:

Hydration is key! Please bring a reusable water bottle as there will be a water refill station. Lighthouse Food Rescue and Distribution will be returning for the second year in a row as a food sponsor. Their team has kindly donated free barbecue for attendees! Make sure to join us in thanking their volunteers for their generosity when picking up your hot meal.

Event Features:

• Paved NAMIWalks route (1-mile route and 3-mile route)
• Keynote address by Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee
• Honorary Chair address by Palo Alto University President Dr. Farouk Dey
• Free massage chair with TrioSpa
• Somatic breathwork & sound experience with True Holistic Healing
• Resource booths
• And more!

We cannot wait to see you at the event of the year.

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Upcoming September 8 General Meeting

Robert Villanueva: Speaking Beyond Stigma

In an interactive presentation, Robert Villanueva will walk us through his journey of being diagnosed, self-stigma, and overcoming stigma to thrive in the mental health community. His advocacy journey began over 25 years ago when he received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, prompting him to confront the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Villanueva collaborates with researchers, academics, and policymakers both in the United States and globally, providing insights drawn from his own journey. Currently, he chairs the Lived Experience Advisory Board for the “Healthy Lifestyles in Bipolar Disorder” research study at the University of California, Berkeley’s CALM program. For many years, he has worked with Dr. Sheri Johnson and Dr. Stephen Hinshaw on various projects.

Villanueva is involved at NAMI National, currently serves as board president of NAMI Alameda South, and has served as a “Trainer of Trainers” for over 20 years.

To register for general meeting click here.

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NAMI-Santa Clara County Classes Coming Up

(All Classes are Free)

Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer will begin in September in both English and Spanish.

For Chinese Family-to-Family (offered through Mental Health Association for Chinese Communities), go to NAMI Family to Family.

Family to Family is a 9-week course for family members who have an adult loved one (age 18 and over) with a mental health condition. Classes are offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean.

Peer-to-Peer is a 9-week experiential course focusing on recovery for individuals 18 and above. Classes are offered in English and Spanish.

If you are interested in taking our education classes and want to find out more, please contact the NAMI-SCC Helpline at 408-453-0400 option 1.

To learn about all of our education programs, go to https://namisantaclara.org/classes/classes-2/

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NAMI California Annual Conference 2026

October 8-9, 2026, Anaheim, CA

NAMI California is thrilled to announce that Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. and Dr. Gary Tsai will serve as keynote speakers for this year’s NAMI California Annual Conference, taking place October 8–9 at Hotel FERA Anaheim, a DoubleTree by Hilton, in Orange, CA. Together, they will bring national leadership, clinical expertise, systems-level experience, and deeply personal perspectives to this year’s conference.

Come to Anaheim to hear from these two inspiring leaders and connect with advocates, families, peers, professionals, and community leaders working to create a future where everyone affected by mental illness can live with hope, dignity and support.

Daniel Gillison, Day 1 Keynote Speaker, is recognized as a change agent in Lifestyle magazine and a Leader in the NonProfit Times 2022 Power & Influence Top 50 List. He provides strategic leadership to NAMI with more than 30 years of professional experience and a deep passion for mental health advocacy fueled by personal lived experiences with mental illness and its ripple effects on families.

Gary Tsai, M.D., Day 2 Keynote Speaker, is a physician executive-board certified in both psychiatry and addiction medicine. He is the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Telecare Corporation and serves on the NAMI California Board and Commission for Behavioral Health.

Book Your Stay at Hotel FERA Anaheim, a DoubleTree by Hilton

Stay at the center of the conference experience by reserving your room at Hotel FERA Anaheim, the official location of the 2026 NAMI California Annual Conference.

The deadline to reserve your room is September 15. Availability is limited so make your reservation early.

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September Is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Although mental health and suicide prevention is important to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides a dedicated time for people, organizations, and communities to join their voices and share that there is hope, help is available, and healing is possible.

Key events and dates observed during the month include:

• • 988 Day: September 8
  • World Suicide Prevention Day: September 10

September 8 is the second annual 988 Day, a day of action to raise awareness and excitement about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline through creative activities led by communities, organizations, and individuals.

World Suicide Prevention Day unites global communities every September 10 to raise awareness and foster a collective commitment to preventing suicide.

Join the conversation, learn vital warning signs, and empower yourself to offer support. Discover resources and take action to create hope and save lives.

DBSA is hosting Holding Hope Together:

A Conversation for Parents, Family Members, and Supporters of People Living with Mood Disorders

DATE: Wednesday, September 9
TIME: 5:00 P.M.
Virtual via Zoom

As part of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, DBSA is highlighting the power of peer support in suicide prevention with a special virtual conversation for parents, family members, and supporters of people living with mood disorders

Supporting someone you care about through difficult moments can be challenging—and when suicidal thoughts are involved, it can be especially difficult to know how to move forward while also caring for yourself.

Join Dr. Gabriel Fries, Nina Hotkowski, LCSW, Jerry Pavlon-Blum, Suzanne Bergoffen, and with DBSA CEO Suzanne Baber serving as moderator, for a conversation about:

The role of peer connection in suicide prevention
Supporting a loved one while caring for your own well-being
Navigating difficult moments when someone you care about is experiencing suicidal thoughts

This is an opportunity to connect with others who understand the experience of supporting someone living with a mood disorder—and to remember that hope is something we can hold together.

Register here to join the conversation and meet our panelists

A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants closer to the event.

Out of the Darkness Walk in San Francisco

WHEN: September 19

WHERE: South Beach Harbor Park, San Francisco, CA

CHECK-IN TIME: 9:00 A.M.

PROGRAM START TIME: 10:00 A.M.

CONTACT: Madison Butz, 820-230-1354, mbutz@afsp.org

To go to their website, click here

Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741 any time of the day, 7 days per week. The Lifeline provides free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.

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Maternal Mental Health Symposium

This virtual event will be held on Friday, October 2 from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. and will feature presentations by leaders in the perinatal mental health field on topics including navigating substance use disorders, intimate partner violence, and affirming gender identity during the perinatal period.

There is no charge to attend and continuing education units will be provided. Register now to view the agenda and save your spot for this year’s symposium.

Questions about the event?

Email: maternalmentalhealth@elcaminohealth.org

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Supporting Mental Health for Seniors

By Barb St. Clair, Outreach Program Coordinator

On August 7, NAMI-Santa Clara County (SCC) partnered with Kenneth Szeto and Andy Leung from Self-Help for the Elderly to present an engaging mental health workshop at the city of Sunnyvale Senior Center.

The workshop was presented in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, helping make important mental health information accessible to a diverse group of older adults. More than 50 seniors participated in this interactive session.

Participants learned about current mental health statistics, what mental illness is, signs and symptoms to recognize, and the impact of stigma. The presentation also addressed an especially important question:  When and how to get help—for yourself or someone you care about.

NAMI-SCC encouraged participants to become more informed about mental health by taking advantage of NAMI’s free education courses and to become advocates for reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Building Stronger Connections for Older Adults

This workshop was made possible through a partnership with Self-Help for the Elderly, a nonprofit organization that has served seniors since its establishment in San Francisco in 1966. Today, the organization operates more than 15 senior centers throughout the Bay Area and collaborates with county governments and other community organizations to provide more than 100 services. It extends from San Francisco into Santa Clara County, benefiting more than 1,000 seniors each year.

Through partnerships like this, NAMI-SCC continues to bring mental health education directly into the communities we serve—helping older adults recognize concerns, seek support, and know that they are not alone.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Self-Help for the Elderly for inviting us to present to seniors at the city of Sunnyvale Senior Center, as well as for their invaluable support with translation, helping us make these important mental health resources more accessible to the community.

Would your senior center or community organization benefit from a mental health workshop?

To schedule a workshop, contact NAMI-SCC at  408-453-0400, option 1, or email info@namisantaclara.org 

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Fun Times at NAMIWalks Kickoff

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Volunteer Spotlight: Megha B.

In 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, Megha B.’s sister began experiencing full-blown psychotic symptoms and became unable to care for herself. As a result, her sister’s daughter moved in with the family. Over the years, her sister experienced several mental health crisis, and the family was at a loss about how to get her the help she needed.

During those very trying times, the NAMI Helpline and support groups were incredibly helpful to Megha and her family. Through NAMI, she learned about the AB1424 form and how to navigate the mental health system in Santa Clara County. By participating in support groups, she gained the emotional strength needed to cope during difficult times.

Megha believes NAMI provides a unique kind of support for individuals and families dealing with acute mental health challenges, support that is not found elsewhere. For this reason, she decided to join NAMI as a volunteer on the Helpline when an opening became available—as a way to give back to the community that supported her and her family during their time of need.

When she is not volunteering at NAMI, Megha loves to read manga and manhwa. And recently she discovered a K-pop group called Ateez and likes to listen to their songs and watch their performances.

As a Helpline volunteer, Megha hopes to share with others the same empathy and support that she has received.

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Peer to Peer Program

More Than a Diagnosis: Building Recovery with Peer-to-Peer

By Merry Gold, Peer-to-Peer Teacher

Receiving a mental health diagnosis can answer some questions, but it can also create a whole lot of new ones. What does recovery actually look like? How do you advocate for yourself, manage the difficult days, and build a life when your diagnosis is only one part of who you are?

NAMI Peer-to-Peer Can Help

Peer-to-Peer is a free, recovery-focused education program for adults 18 and older living with mental health challenges. But the course isn’t a clinical lecture or therapy group. It is taught by trained peers who have their own lived experience with mental illness and recovery—people who understand that recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all.

In 9 sessions of 2 hours each, participants explore mental health and recovery while building a practical toolkit for moving forward. The course covers information about mental health conditions and brain biology while helping participants better understand their own experiences, prepare for conversations with healthcare providers, develop personalized recovery plans, strengthen decision-making and problem-solving skills, and prepare for potential challenges ahead.

But one of the most valuable parts of Peer-to-Peer may simply be learning alongside people who get it—finding community.

Everyone in the room brings their own experiences, challenges, and ideas about recovery. Nobody is there to tell you what your recovery is supposed to look like. Instead, participants can learn from one another while gaining tools to make informed choices about their own lives.

Recovery doesn’t have to mean getting back to exactly who you were before. It can also mean figuring out what wellness looks like for you now—and building the knowledge, confidence, and support to keep moving toward it.

Find Out More

Interested? Contact NAMI-Santa Clara County at 408-453-0400 option 1, Mon-Fri, 10 A.M.-6 P.M., to learn about upcoming classes and registration. NAMI Peer-to-Peer is free of charge.

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Job Openings at NAMI

NAMI-Santa Clara County has some job openings. Check them out on our website at https://namisantaclara.org/about-nami/jobs-2/

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Membership Form

To join online, go to www.namisantaclara.org/Become a Member

To make payment via check:

Please address the check to “NAMI Santa Clara County“ and send it by mail to:

1150 S. Bascom Ave., Suite 24
San Jose, CA 95128

NAMI-SCC welcomes your membership.

Memberships are valid for one year.

Your membership and donations are tax deductible.

Tax ID #94-2430956

Learn how to include NAMI-SCC in your estate plan by going to “Get Involved/Planned Giving” on our website.

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