How to find mental health care during the holidays

During the holidays, we all hope for days that are merry and bright.

If they aren’t, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Arizona is here to help.

“There are lots of different stresses in the community right now and whether that involves family dynamics or everything being so expensive or raids in the community, we are doing our best to try and support the families we serve through the holiday season,” said David Delawder, Executive Director of NAMI Southern Arizona (https://www.namisa.org/).

He said the local nonprofit, which provides education, advocacy and support for mental illness, typically sees an uptick in calls beginning prior to Thanksgiving and continuing through the holidays and into the new year.

“We receive lots of calls from families concerned about a loved one’s mental health. They want to get though the holidays together and are not sure how to do that when there are mental health concerns,” Delawder said.

Additionally, difficult family dynamics and issues such as estrangement can be compounded by the stigma surrounding mental health. NAMI seeks to offset that with a range of free, bilingual resources and support including a NAMI Basics course that serves parents and caregivers of adolescents living with mental health conditions; Peer-to-Peer, a course for people with mental health conditions led by peers; and Family-to-Family, in which family members provide tools to the loved ones of those affected by mental illness. The In Our Own Voice program offers the opportunity for adults dealing with mental illness to share their lived experiences with others.

Delawder encourages anyone struggling with their own mental health — or the mental health of a friend or loved one — to reach out by contacting NAMI at 520-622-5582 or the HOPE warm line at 520-770-9909 from 8 a.m to 10 p.m daily.

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“If someone is struggling and seeking community because they feel alone, we have programs to help. Isolation is definitely not healing, and combatting it is hard to do, but sometimes all it takes is picking up the phone and initiating contact,” Delawder said.

Those in crisis can also call the Community Wide Crisis Line at 520-622-2000 or the Suicide Hotline at 988. Delawder emphasized that text support for the Crisis line is available at 741741.

Those in search of support can also join the NAMI Southern Arizona Holiday Potluck at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18 at St. Cyril of Alexandria Roman Catholic Church, 4725 E. Pima St.

Finally, Delawder reminds everyone to try to be a kind and to practice self-care during the holidays.

“Crisis goes up this time of year, and it is not just for people with a mental health diagnosis — it is the whole family unit together. If there is one thing everyone can do to make this time a little less stressful, just remember to say, ‘Hello,’ and to smile. Those simple things make such a difference in people’s lives,” he said.

You can also make a difference by supporting NAMI with a monetary donation. Financial contributions made by Arizona residents may qualify for the Arizona Qualifying Charitable Organization (QCO) tax credit. The 2025 QCO contribution limit is $987 for married couples filing jointly and $495 for single filers.

Find more information at https://www.namisa.org/donate/.