You Don't Have to Walk This Alone

September 2026

Article by Maria Weidich

Mental health challenges often feel isolating, but they don't have to be. For more than 30 years, the Billings chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, has helped individuals and families navigate mental illness through free education, peer support, and advocacy. Its message is simple: support is available, and no one has to face life's challenges alone.

Unlike a counseling clinic, NAMI Billings doesn't provide therapy or medical treatment. Instead, it offers something many people don't realize they need until they're in the middle of a mental health crisis: community. Through free support groups for adults ages 18 and older, classes and presentations, NAMI Billings connects individuals living with a mental health condition, along with parents, spouses, caregivers and friends, to practical resources and people who understand what they're experiencing. These support groups are offered both in person and virtually to make them more accessible.

“People are not meant to do life alone, especially when navigating mental health crises or challenges,” says Michelle Johansen, NAMI Billings Program Coordinator. “You need community.”

Michelle hopes more people realize that NAMI isn't just for individuals living with a mental illness, either. "NAMI is for everyone!" she says. "At some point everyone in their life will experience mental health challenges either personally or through family or a friend, and they will need the resources and education on how to approach it the best way possible."

For many participants, Michelle says the greatest benefit isn't just the information; it's the people sitting beside them. "The gift of being surrounded by individuals who genuinely understand what you are experiencing, who also support and encourage you, is invaluable. You cannot put a price on friendship and peer support when you are at your worst and feel completely alone. Our support groups reassure people weekly, they are not alone and there is hope."

If attending a support group feels intimidating, Michelle encourages people to take the first step in whatever way feels most comfortable. "Come check out our office beforehand so you know what to expect before you attend. We have a beautiful, welcoming space which allows honest and open conversations about the realities of facing mental health challenges."

For someone living with a mental health condition, supporting a loved one or simply looking to better understand mental health, NAMI Billings offers a reminder that healing isn't always about having all the answers. Sometimes, it's just knowing you don't have to walk the journey alone.

NAMI Billings, At a Glance

Peer-led support groups for adults (18+)
In-person and virtual meeting options
Family support groups
Educational classes
Community presentations
Mental health advocacy

NAMI Billings 955 Broadwater Square Billings, MT 59101 (406) 256-2001 Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Website: namibillings.org

Originally printed in the September 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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Maria Weidich

Originally from Alaska, Maria now resides in Billings with her husband, two girls, and a chocolate lab named Echo. She loves spending time in the mountains. Since moving to Montana, she has developed an insatiable sweet tooth for the Beartooths.

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