.jpg?fit=outside&w=1600&h=900)
NAMI Billings: Creating Connection, Support, and Hope
Founded by individuals and families with lived experience, NAMI Billings offers free, peer-led education, support, and advocacy for those navigating mental health challenges. Their work centers on connection, compassion, and the belief that no one should face mental illness alone.
In October 1995, a small group of Billings residents came together with a shared concern. Each had a family member living with mental illness, and all had experienced firsthand how difficult it was to find information, support, and understanding in the community. Rather than accepting the gaps they saw, they chose to act, forming an informal organization called YAMI, the Yellowstone Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
From the beginning, the group focused on education, mutual support, and advocacy. One of the early leaders, Dee Holley, whose own family had been impacted by mental illness, played a key role in shaping the organization’s direction. She served as a volunteer executive director for eight years, supported by her husband, Dr. Paul Holley, helping guide the group as it grew in both reach and purpose.
As the organization expanded, it aligned more closely with the national mental health movement. In 2005, YAMI officially became NAMI Billings, reflecting its connection to the National Alliance on Mental Illness and strengthening its commitment to community-based support rooted in lived experience.
What makes NAMI Billings especially important in the community is its peer-led approach. Unlike clinical or government-based services, the organization is run by individuals and family members who understand mental illness personally. That perspective shapes how support is offered, creating spaces that feel relatable, welcoming, and grounded in empathy.
NAMI Billings offers confidential weekly support groups for people living with mental health conditions and for family members supporting loved ones. No registration or membership is required, making these groups accessible and low- barrier. The organization also provides free educational classes and community presentations designed to increase understanding and reduce stigma, along with a lending library of books and resources focused on mental health and recovery.
Many people don’t realize that NAMI Billings is not a clinical provider. Instead, it fills a critical role before treatment begins, during transitions, and long after formal services may end. This ongoing, community-based support helps individuals and families build stability, confidence, and hope during challenging seasons of life.
The spirit of NAMI Billings is welcoming and compassionate. Every story is valued, judgment is set aside, and recovery is seen as possible. For many participants, the weekly support groups become steady anchors. One individual shared that NAMI Connection helped him navigate his mental illness and avoid hospitalization. Another shared that the education and tools she gained helped her rebuild her wellness, saying simply, “NAMI Billings gave me purpose. It saved my life.”
Strong partnerships across healthcare, schools, nonprofits, and community organizations continue to shape the organization’s work and expand its reach. Looking ahead, NAMI Billings is preparing to launch a NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group at the Billings Clinic Psychiatric Center in 2026, offering continued peer support as individuals transition from clinical care back into daily life.
At its heart, NAMI Billings wants everyone who connects with the organization to leave with the same message: you are not alone, and support is available. Through education, connection, and compassion, NAMI Billings continues to strengthen the mental health landscape of Yellowstone County. If you’d like to join a support group, take an education class, volunteer, or learn more, visit www.namibillings.org and connect with NAMI Billings.
