Annual mental health conference to happen in Sacramento

THIS MONTH, THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, OR NAMI, WILL HOLD ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN SACRAMENTO. IT’S THE STATEWIDE CONFERENCE, AND NAMI IS THE NATION’S LARGEST GRASSROOTS MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION. JOINING US NOW IS MARCIA PRATT FROM NAMI, WITH MORE ABOUT THE STATEWIDE CONFERENCE THAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN SACRAMENTO THIS WEEK. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. NEXT WEEK. IT’S NEXT WEEK. YES. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. OKAY. AND SO YOU GATHER EVERY YEAR FOR THIS CONFERENCE AND THIS THIS YEAR IT HAPPENS TO BE IN SACRAMENTO. WHO WILL BE THERE AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT THIS KIND OF EVENT HAPPENS? YEAH. THIS CONFERENCE IS FOR EVERYONE. PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION AND ALSO THOSE CAREGIVERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE CARING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS. IT’S FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, EDUCATORS. SO DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING FROM ALL KINDS OF WALKS OF LIFE THAT HAVE DEALT WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AND WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, LEARN HOW TO BETTER MANAGE IT, BUT ALSO TAP INTO SOME OF NAMI’S RESOURCES, BECAUSE ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO EDUCATION, TRAINING, SUPPORT GROUPS, WE PROVIDE TO EVERYONE AT NO CHARGE. SO AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS PRETTY MUCH ALL OF US IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM? YES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TELL PEOPLE OFTEN IS THAT WE’VE ALL BEEN THROUGH A COLLECTIVE TRAUMA CALLED THE PANDEMIC. SO THAT REALLY LEVELED THE PLAYING FIELD IN TERMS OF REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF STIGMA ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. IT STARTED TO NORMALIZE THE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE ALL OF US WERE GOING THROUGH ISOLATION, ANXIETY, LONELINESS. WE ALL HAD SOME ASPECT OF A MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE GOING ON. SO WE GOT TO HAVE A FRONT ROW SEAT AND WHAT OUR FOLKS THAT WE SUPPORT EVERY DAY GO THROUGH. AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE ALLIES, THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN THE FIGHT TOGETHER TO COME TOGETHER AND LEARN MORE, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND BUILD COMMUNITY. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. AND AGAIN, IT’S NOT JUST FOR THE ADVOCATES AND THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THIS IS FOR EVERYONE TO ATTEND. THAT’S RIGHT. IT’S FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE WHO’S BEEN THROUGH A CHALLENGE, WHETHER IT BE GRIEF AND LOSS, WHETHER IT BE THE LOSS OF A JOB, A PET, A PERSON, WHETHER IT BE SOMETHING TRAUMATIC THAT HAPPENED IN THEIR LIVES, MAYBE A NATURAL DISASTER, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES IN FIRES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THOSE KINDS OF TRAUMAS DON’T JUST GO AWAY. THERE NEED TO BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO’VE BEEN WHERE YOU’RE AT AND SEEN THE OTHER SIDE, AND GIVE YOU THAT HOPE THAT YOU CAN STILL CONTINUE AND LEARN FROM THESE EXPERIENCES AND NOT LET IT DEFEAT YOU. AND WE KNOW THAT THE LINGERING EFFECTS OF TRAUMA CAN SOMETIMES SURFACE WAY LATER, WAY AFTER THE TRAUMA HAS HAPPENED. YES, A LOT OF TIMES WE GET DEPLOYED, SO TO SPEAK, TO BE ALONGSIDE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GIVING THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED, BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT IT’S A PROCESS. THIS LIFE IS A MARATHON. IT’S NOT A SPRINT. SO WE’RE THERE TO WALK ALONGSIDE PEOPLE FOR THE JOURNEY. SUCH AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE HAPPENING NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR INSIGHT ON THIS SPECIAL

Annual mental health conference to happen in Sacramento

NAMI California Annual Conference 2025 takes place at Sheraton Grand Hotel on Oct. 16 and 17.

Updated: 2:29 PM PDT Oct 8, 2025

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This month, NAMI California will host its annual conference in Sacramento.NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, according to its website.Organizers said the group’s California conference “draws hundreds of family members, educators, mental health professionals, advocates, and individuals with lived experience and it serves as a critical platform to discuss stigma, access to care, policy solutions, and how others can be an advocate for those living with a mental illness.”Marshea Pratt, NAMI California’s VP of Workforce Development & Community Engagement spoke with KCRA 3 News about the conference, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16 and 17.Click the video above to watch the interview.You can register to attend here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

This month, NAMI California will host its annual conference in Sacramento.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, according to its website.

Organizers said the group’s California conference “draws hundreds of family members, educators, mental health professionals, advocates, and individuals with lived experience and it serves as a critical platform to discuss stigma, access to care, policy solutions, and how others can be an advocate for those living with a mental illness.”

Marshea Pratt, NAMI California’s VP of Workforce Development & Community Engagement spoke with KCRA 3 News about the conference, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16 and 17.

Click the video above to watch the interview.

You can register to attend here.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel