Interfaith Network on Mental Illness

   An Outreach Program of NAMI Boulder County, Serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties

We are one community.
Together we can build a better life for ourselves and those with mental illness.
Our network includes a growing number of people from different faith backgrounds, including Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist and some with no ties to any organized religion.

It is a sobering truth that 1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness. Given the stress associated with the recent economic turndown, rates of anxiety, depression and suicide have increased -- so the 1-in-4 number is conservative. Furthermore, research has shown that people are more than twice as likely to speak with a clergy person about a mental health concern than they are to speak with a mental health professional.

So, we are talking about problems that are very common and pressing in our congregations, problems that our faith communities and clergy cannot ignore.

INMI Mission Statement

The Interfaith Network on Mental Illness (INMI) is a coalition of faith communities in Boulder and Broomfield Counties that will increase awareness and understanding of mental illness:

• By encouraging and helping congregations/faith communities to create a supportive community for persons dealing with issues relating to a mental illness (brain disorder) and their families and friends;
• By assisting congregations to provide education, training opportunities and other resources to promote mental health, to foster recovery, and to confront the stigma around mental illness;
• By connecting congregations with local organizations focusing on mental health;
• By providing a forum in which programs and best practices can be shared; and
• By working with faith leaders and lay persons of congregations to implement these actions.