The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) leads Mental Illness Awareness Week to challenge stigma and misunderstanding by showing that mental illness affects everyone directly or indirectly through family, friends or coworkers. This year’s MIAW is centered around the theme “What I Wish I Had Known” and focuses on the power of lived experience. Each day throughout the week, NAMI will be elevating the voices of people with lived experience to talk about the components of their recovery where they learned something that could have helped them sooner. Use this week to talk about how mental illness intersects with poverty and criminal justice. Discuss the need for government support of individuals and families dealing with mental illness. Cite the values of Community and Redemption.