Family Support Group

for Adults with a Mentally Ill Loved One

No registration required. Meets every 4th Thursday of each month.

All events are tentatively scheduled and may change. Please see the CMCL Events Calendar on our website, follow us on social media, and subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter for any and all updates.

Family Support Group for Adults with a Mentally Ill Loved One

If you or a loved one has a mental health condition, you’re not alone. Approximately one in five people are estimated to have some form of mental illness. The Atlantic/Cape May affiliate of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) hosts free support groups for adults (18+) with a loved one living with a mental health condition. In this group you can gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences in an empathetic and supportive environment, and learn about resources available to you. The support group is led by NAMI-certified facilitators who also have a loved one with a mental illness. We get where you’re coming from. Learn more and register online by visiting namiacm.org, click on Support & Education and then Support Groups. You can also call (609) 741-5125 for more information.

Christopher Florentz, M.A. is a NAMI-certified Family Support Group facilitator who understands firsthand the challenges and difficulties of having a loved one with a mental health condition. His career in communications has spanned a broad range of industries in biotechnology, energy, government and publishing. A former adjunct instructor of communication theory and writing, Chris is a children’s book author, blogger and writer whose articles have appeared in a wide range of media including The New York Times, NJ.com and South Jersey Times.

Dr. Jeanmarie Mason is a NAMI-certified Family Support Group facilitator, educator and professional consultant in advocating for the rights of children and adults with disabilities and mental health issues.  She is an adjunct professor specializing in special education and inclusive practices for those with mental and physical disabilities, and works with psychologists, psychiatrists and family attorneys who advocate for those with mental health needs. 
Jeanmarie and I will be co-facilitating the support group. FYI, the following links are to a Letter to the Editor, which we recently published in the Philadelphia Inquirer about mental health awareness and the NAMI ACM Family Support Group, and commentary regarding the same on LinkedIn, a version of which also appeared in the South Jersey Times and NJ.com.

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor-october-11-2023-20231011.html 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mental-health-advocates-never-give-up-hope-opinion-florentz?trk=public_profile_article_view 

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