NAMI Hernando

4030 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, FL, 34606

NAMI Hernando, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, says it now runs more than 20 support groups a week from its base at 4030 Commercial Way in Spring Hill. The organization's own description of its mission is plain: free mental health support, online groups, resources and education for Hernando County residents. The affiliate has deep local roots. By its own account, the NAMI idea reached Hernando County in 1980 through Norma McLaughlin, and the affiliate was incorporated in December 1985. It is a 501(c)(3) public charity. In May 2008 the county established a Mental Health Court, and a 2024 opioid-settlement grant funded a Recovery Community Center staffed in part by certified peer support specialists, people with lived experience of recovery. The calendar is broad. Support groups include NAMI Connection, offered in Spanish as NAMI Conexion; a NAMI Family Support Group; an online group that meets Monday evenings; Family Links for parents of young people; grief support; and Teen Talk for ages 12 to 17, which is listed as free with no registration. There are recovery-focused groups such as Recovery Dharma, SMART Recovery and Women in Recovery, as well as social art classes. Education classes include NAMI Basics, Family-to-Family, Peer-to-Peer and Mental Health First Aid, and speakers are available for presentations such as Ending the Silence and In Our Own Voice. Meeting times change, so the calendar on the affiliate's website is the best place to confirm a date. The Recovery Community Center's programs include peer support for adults and youth, Hospital Bridge and Jail Bridge efforts, and work connected to the county's specialty drug and mental health courts. The affiliate also takes volunteers and members and accepts donations, and its NAMIWalks Hernando fundraiser is listed for early November. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Google. Call or text (352) 684-0004; after hours, the affiliate lists a care line at (352) 316-7783. NAMI Hernando is not an emergency service: in a crisis, call or text 988, or ask for a Crisis Intervention Team officer when calling 911.