FAQs Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions page. Here you’ll find answers to common questions we're asked.call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline , or see other ways to get help .
Finding Support and Support Groups If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition, know you are not alone. One in 5 American adults experiences some form of mental illness in any given year.
Learn as much as you can about your mental illness. Having a good understanding of what you're experiencing can be a good step forward. Learn about Mental Health Conditions and Related Components . NAMI Jax offers a free 8-week class called “Peer-to-Peer” that can help you understand your illness, and find support and compassion from people who can relate to your experiences.NAMI support groups follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.
If you lost your Zoom link, just re-register for your group. Once you re-register, you will receive the Zoom link. You don't have to register each week, just be sure to save the link. Click here for our program registration
No, to protect the privacy of support group members, our support groups are not open for observation or auditing.
Connecting with other people who have gone through the same thing can be helpful.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides a listing of support groups throughout the United States. Visit their "Find a Support Group" page.
Helping a Loved One First, it’s important that both you and your loved one are safe. If there is immediate danger, call 911, and say that you believe your loved one is a danger to themself or others, and you want to initiate a Baker Act. Learn more about the Baker Act . Co-Responder Unit to come help de-escalate the situation. Duval County Co-Responder Units consist of a law enforcement officer and a mental health clinician who respond in a marked patrol car, to calls involving people who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. These responders understand the nature of mental health challenges that people face and they can help to calm situations that may otherwise become tense. A key component of the program involves a warm hand-off from the Co-Responders to the MHRC Comprehensive Services Centers and outreach care coordination services, thereby diverting individuals from potential incarceration or Baker Act when appropriate. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT ) member. These are specially trained officers who handle mental health crises and can issue a Baker Act if necessary.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act is designed to enhance public safety by restricting firearm and ammunition possession by a person who poses a danger to themself or others. Risk Protection Order (RPO) . Only law enforcement can ask a court to enter a Risk Protection Order against someone who may be a danger to themself or others. Learn more about Risk Protection Orders .
Contact the police immediately and give them all the information you can. If the person remains missing more than three days, ask the police to place them on the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) list as an “endangered adult.” Register them with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) , a centralized database for missing person cases across the United States. Learn more about NamUs and how to use it . Check Nearby Hospitals, Churches, Homeless Shelters and Libraries. Keep in mind that some of these places may have confidentiality restrictions and be unable to confirm if your loved one is there. You can, however, give the facility your contact information and ask them to let your loved one know that you are looking for them and they can contact you. Check Out social media or create a website. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media accounts of your loved one may provide clues to their location. Look at their friends’ social media accounts as well. Create a Facebook page or website for the missing person, using a heading like “Find John Doe” or “Missing Jane Smith.” Call your local police immediately. Federal law prohibits police from imposing a waiting period before accepting a missing child report. Police must add the information to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center Missing Person File within two hours of receiving a missing child report. Call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (CMEC), 1-800-843-5678. CMEC will provide technical and case management assistance to help ensure all available search and recover methods are used.Resources for Finding Missing Children Center for Missing and Exploited Children - 24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-843-5678National Runaway Safeline - 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929)
Baker Act A Baker Act is a legal means by which a person suffering a mental health crisis can be taken involuntarily to a crisis stabilization unit for evaluation. Learn more about the Baker Act on the Duval County Civil Court Services for Mental Health web page.
Have a mental health professional issue a Baker Act. If your loved one has a doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist, call them and tell them that you feel your loved one is a danger to themself or others. These professionals can issue a Baker Act. It can be helpful to share information about your loved one's mental health history with their treatment team. Treatment centers can legally accept this information even without a formal release of information.
Initial diagnosis and treatment history. Prior hospitalizations and time between episodes. Medication adherence and reasons for nonadherence (e.g., side effects, lack of efficacy). Work history, history of violence, substance use (including medical marijuana), and any history of incarceration. Housing status and family goals for this hospitalization (e.g., interest in SRT or residential treatment). Relevant physical health conditions. A Baker Act is a legal mechanism for a person suffering a mental health crisis to be taken involuntarily to a crisis stabilization unit for evaluation. Just because the police may be involved, it is not a criminal offense.
The Criminal Justice System Mental Health Court may be an option to avoid charges, probation, or fees. To qualify for Mental Health Court, you must have a primary diagnosis of anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia as chronic, serious mental illness, with medical records to support it. A recommendation must be made from a judge, attorney, or family member. Program requirements include case management, support group attendance, drug screening, and court appearances. Find more information and request forms . Duval County Clerk of the Court, Mental Health Services (Visit their website )
It’s important that both the jail and your loved one’s attorney are aware that your loved one has a mental health condition. Make a call to each right away.
Duval County's Mental Health Offenders Program can help individuals with serious mental illness and numerous misdemeanor charges stay out of jail, and instead receive intensive wrap-around care with case management, food, housing, transportation, disability benefits, medications, and therapy.
Public Defenders are much more likely to respond to an email than a phone call. To communicate with the Public Defender via email, you will need to know the Public Defender's name and email address.Public Defender’s website . Florida Bar website .
Questions About Finding a Therapist While NAMI doesn't provide mental health services or recommend mental health care providers, we do provide information about the resources available in Northeast Florida. Here are some resources to help you locate a therapist:
Check with your employer to see if they have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAPs often give employees free therapy visits. Call your insurance company or visit their website to see therapists in your area who accept your insurance. Psychology Today provides a listing of therapists by state, city, or areas of expertise: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ While NAMI doesn't provide mental health services or recommend mental health care providers, we do provide information about the resources available in Northeast Florida. Here are some resources to help you find a therapist who accepts Medicare:
While NAMI Jax doesn’t provide therapy, we do offer free support groups that are facilitated by people with lived experience. Learn more about NAMI support groups .
While NAMI doesn't provide mental health services or recommend mental health care providers, we do provide information about the resources available in Northeast Florida. Here are some resources to help you locate a therapist:
Social Security Information Social Security Administration http://socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability
Help With Federal Benefits and Affordable Housing Reach out to your local Congressperson for help with federal benefits. https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member . Just type in your address and click the search icon.
The United Way is the best place to start. They are familiar with the many resources in our community, and can help guide you.Call the United Way at 211. These are some of the many organizations the United Way works with:
Catholic Charities: 904-354-3416 Jacksonville Housing Authority: 904-630-3810, www.jaxha.org Dept of Housing and Urban Development: www.hud.gov Emergency Assistance Programs: 904-354-3416 Jacksonville Housing Commission: 904-224-8200, www.coj.net Jacksonville Urban League: 904-366-3470 Builders Care: 904-727-3443 MHRC South Comprehensive Services Center: 904-642-9100, option #1 First Coast Long-Term Care Ombudsmen Council: 4161 Carmichael Ave., #141, Jax, FL 32207 Quality Life Center group homes: 904-398-2020 Ability Housing for SSDI recipients: 904-359-9650 Clay Behavioral Health Center: 904-291-5561 (similar to Ability Housing) CareConnect+ - a network of resources to connect people with social determinants that affect health, including providers, housing, food insecurity, and unemployment: https://www.careconnectplus.com/ 
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