Free Mental Health Peer Support Dallas, TX | NAMI Southern
NAMI Dallas Southern Sector (NAMI DSS) runs free, peer-led NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups and NAMI Family Support Groups for adults in southern Dallas and surrounding communities. An affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI DSS focuses on the southern half of the Dallas metro and serves Black, Latino, and other historically under-resourced communities with culturally grounded peer support — entirely free, year-round, and explicitly built around lived experience rather than clinical instruction.
What to Expect
The NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a 90-minute peer-led group for adults living with a mental health condition. It meets virtually the 4th Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The NAMI Family Support Group, for adults supporting a loved one with a mental health condition, meets the 3rd Thursday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Both follow the established NAMI peer support model — trained facilitators who have lived experience open and close the meeting; the bulk of the time is confidential peer sharing. There is no curriculum, no fee, and no expectation that you share. Listening is participation. Sessions are confidential and not recorded.
Who This Group Is For
The Connection group is for adults 18 and older living with any mental health condition — depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, or undiagnosed symptoms. The Family Support group is for adult family members, partners, chosen family, and close friends supporting someone with a mental health condition. Both groups especially welcome members from Black and Latino communities, though all are welcome. New members can join any month — there is no application or waiting list.
Why Peer Support Works
For families and individuals navigating serious mental health conditions, the most isolating part is often the silence from people who do not understand. NAMI’s peer model has been refined over four decades and consistently shows improved self-management, lower hospitalization, and reduced family burnout. A culturally aware affiliate adds the additional dimension that members do not have to translate their experience around faith, family structure, or community before being understood.
How to Join
Registration is required and free. Visit namitexas.org/about-nami-texas/nami-affiliates-in-texas/nami-dallas-southern-sector to find the registration link for the next Connection or Family Support meeting. After registering you will receive a confirmation email with the meeting link. For questions, call NAMI Dallas Southern Sector at (972) 401-3834.