WOOD RIVER - The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) will open an office in Wood River at Riverbend Family Ministries.
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Located at 144 E. Ferguson Avenue in Wood River, Riverbend Family Ministries houses several nonprofits. NAMI SWI will be their newest nonprofit, with plans to move into the building on July 21, 2025.
“That connection, that community — this is amplifying that,” said Kaleigh Peery with NAMI SWI. “Actually, it’s a huge deal.”
NAMI SWI offers resources and support to community members who are experiencing mental health challenges. They host several support groups, give presentations, and offer peer counseling services out of their current location in Granite City.
Peery expressed her excitement to move into Riverbend Family Ministries (RFM) and collaborate with the other organizations within the building. She said RFM has donated the space to NAMI SWI, and she looks forward to working with the other nonprofits to support their clients.
Tammy Iskarous, executive director of RFM, echoed Peery and noted that NAMI SWI will provide great services. She hopes RFM can continue to serve as a one-stop shop for community members to access the resources they need.
“We’re very excited for NAMI to be a part of the RFM family because it just adds another dimension to the ways that we can holistically wrap around our families of trauma,” Iskarous explained. “Many times, our families present with a dual diagnosis, especially our unhoused friends. Sometimes it could be addiction and sometimes it could be mental health, and to have Amare with addiction recovery and now have NAMI in the same hallway, they can join forces around a family that may be struggling with both diagnoses. They don't have to go to a lot of different places.”
Looking ahead, NAMI SWI will have a new phone number and a resource table available at all times in their office at RFM. People will be able to come to the office to talk to NAMI SWI employees and support workers.
In addition to the work they currently do, Peery said they hope to operate a “living room model,” where people who are experiencing nonemergency mental health challenges can walk in and receive support. The living room model is popular for NAMI chapters across the U.S., and Peery hopes the SWI chapter can offer something similar with peer support.
Peery shared that NAMI once served as “the lifeline I didn’t know I needed,” and she wants to help other people access the services they need to live healthier, happier lives. As NAMI SWI and RFM embark on this next chapter together, Peery and Iskarous look forward to seeing how the organizations can collaborate to help community members in Wood River and beyond.
“I’m proud to be a part of it. It's something that I hold really dear to my heart. NAMI has been there for me immensely,” Peery added. “This is what we want to do, to be able to reach more people, to know that they’re not alone. And moving to this location is giving us that opportunity to really be a part of it.”
For more information about Riverbend Family Ministries, visit their official website at RiverbendFamilyMinistries.com. To learn more about NAMI SWI, check out their official website at NAMISWI.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
