One in Five: How Our Community Is Answering the Mental Health Crisis

By Rick Ochocki, Chief Development Officer — NAMI San Diego & Imperial Counties

If you or someone you love has ever received a behavioral health diagnosis, you know the feeling — bewilderment, worry, and a desperate need to know: What do we do now? You're far from alone. The statistics are striking.

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year

• 1 in 7 Youth ages 6–17 reported a mental health disorder in 2016

• Since 1978 NAMI San Diego has been the community's voice on mental illness

In San Diego, families and individuals don't have to navigate this alone. The National Alliance on Mental Illness San Diego & Imperial Counties (NAMI SD/IC) exists to make sure of that.

What NAMI San Diego actually does

NAMI SD/IC is a local independent nonprofit — and part of the country's largest grassroots mental health organization. Its mission runs on three pillars: support, education, and advocacy. “Staff and grassroots volunteers share from their own journey of recovery, working directly with program participants and families — at no charge to the participant.”

That peer-led model is what sets NAMI apart. This isn't clinical distance — it's lived experience, offered freely to those who need it most.

Programs and services across the region

NAMI SD/IC runs an extensive range of programs throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties, many funded through county contracts:

• Family-to-Family and NAMI Basics classes for caregivers

• 20+ monthly support groups for families and individuals

• Peer-run Warmline (3:30–11 PM, 7 days a week)

• Four mental health Clubhouses across the region

• Re-entry programs for people returning from state prisons

• Transition support following County Psychiatric Hospital stays

• Long-term stable housing in North County (6 residents)

• Resources in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Somali

Why your support matters

While government contracts and grants cover much of NAMI SD/IC's annual operating costs, hundreds of thousands of dollars still need to be raised each year in unrestricted donations. These funds go toward the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that keeps everything running — accounting, communications, HR, IT, legal compliance, and leadership.

Without this support, the organization cannot continue to serve some of the most vulnerable people in our region, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or income.

Join us at NAMIWalks San Diego — April 26, 2026

The annual NAMIWalks is the largest single-day mental health awareness event in San Diego County, taking place this year at Liberty Station. Join St. Peter's team or make a donation to help reach the $2,000 goal.

Register as a walker or make a donation at: namiwalks.org/sandiego

Rick Ochocki (he/him/his) is the Chief Development Officer at NAMI San Diego & Imperial Counties. For more information, visit namisandiego.org.