Resources for Families Living With SMI

Nobody should expect people with SMI and their loved ones to find the resources they need on their own. Our goal is to gather helpful information in one place with an overview of what you need to know.

Search for your topic
Topic categories
wooden blocks spelling
Advocacy

Learn about personal versus system advocacy and how to fight for change without compromising self-care.
  • Community Playbook
Read Post
hands holding a black heart, symbolizing grief from ambiguous loss from severe mental illness
Ambiguous Loss

This article and video offer coping strategies for living with losses connected to SMI—losses that lack clarity or resolution.
  • Family Care
Read Post
Faces reflected in different colors separated by torn paper symbolizing the disconnect between thoughts and reality from anosognosia
Anosognosia

Some people with anosognosia can improve their lives with mental health treatment, but they may never gain the capacity to see that they have a mental illness.
  • Essentials
Read Post
a gavel and a stethoscope on a purple background symbolizing the intersection of the legal and medical system in AOT programs.
Assisted Outpatient Treatment

Learn about court-ordered outpatient treatment designed for people with a history of non-adherence to SMI treatment.  What is assisted…
  • Essentials
Read Post
image of a person standing under a red umbrella labeled 'insurance,' overlooking a city skyline with icons representing health and social institutions, symbolizing the complexities of navigating insurance coverage for mental health care under federal parity laws
Challenges with Insurance

Federal parity laws require mental and physical health coverages to match, but there are loopholes. This resource provides options…
  • System Navigation
Read Post
Close-up image of a package containing Clozapine tablets, highlighting advocacy initiatives and resources dedicated to enhancing accessibility to this crucial treatment for individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia
Clozapine

Learn about clozapine, the only FDA-approved medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and ways to access this anti-psychotic medication.
  • Community Playbook
Read Post
network of wooden figures, symbolizing communication strategies to build trust with someone impacted by severe mental illness
Communication Tips

Communicating with someone with SMI often requires skill and patience. Here are key tips and places to go for…
  • Family Care
Read Post
severe mental illness patient in distress, holding head. Resources for filing complaints for poor treatment
Complaints and Grievances

Find places to file complaints related to poor care, denial of services or insurance reimbursement, abuse and neglect, and…
  • System Navigation
Read Post
scales of justice and doctor with stethoscope. Severe mental illness treatment options overview
Continuum of Care

Learn terminology to help you understand a range of inpatient and outpatient options for treating SMI.
  • Essentials
Read Post
Displaying Results For:

Learn More About SMI

When navigating a complex set of systems, knowledge is power. Search below for information about state-specific laws and resources, policies that can impact the lives of those with SMI, and our current research, reports, and publications.