The chapter is a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help support and advocacy organization. It relocated from Willow Glen into a 1,500-square-foot facility in Water Tower Plaza II on April 2.

The move allows the organization to better serve its client base, according to Kathy Forward, Campbell resident and volunteer education coordinator.

The organization operated out of a 300-square-foot facility and had to outsource its classes because of space restrictions.

"We were starting to look at various grants and other funding sources to fund a move when one of our members came forward with a $50,000 donation that enabled us to relocate," Forward said.

The donation came from Mary Alexander and her late husband, David, a pioneer in Silicon Valley's high-tech industry. The couple became familiar with NAMI after seeking guidance on how to help their son, who had a mental illness.

NAMI's Santa Clara County chapter president Naveh Statman said most of the volunteers associated with NAMI are people who have used the organization's services to help them cope with their own mental illness or the illness of a loved one.

"Our organization is truly unique because it is run completely by volunteers," Statman said.

Long thought of as emotional and behavioral problems that stem from individual weaknesses or poor upbringing, mental disorders are now understood as a group of individual illnesses of the brain that affect behavior, mood and even thinking processes. Biological influences may include genetic factors, disturbances in fetal brain development during early pregnancy and changes in brain chemistry. Even environmental factors such as severe stress or trauma can disrupt the brain function.

"Medical professionals now understand that mental illness is a biological and neurological disorder in the brain," Forward said. "The brain can get sick just like any other organ in the body."

However, even in light of these findings, public perception remains unfavorable toward the mentally ill. To combat this stigma, NAMI seeks to educate people about the issue of mental illness.

Originally founded as a support group for family members affected by mental illness, the 12-week Family-to-Family education course helped participants gain a greater understanding of mental illness and a deeper empathy toward what a loved one is experiencing.

Recently, the organization added a Peer-to-Peer program, where those suffering from a mental illness are taught to cope with the disease. Peer-to-Peer is a nine-week course that meets two hours per week and is open to anyone with a mental illness. It is taught by teams of three trained peer-teachers who are also living with mental illness.

"The course helps people separate themselves from their illness; to say to themselves this is my illness, not me," Forward said. "They also learn how to manage their illness and to recognize early on some of the symptoms that might indicate a relapse."

The classes are packed full of information and carefully managed and conducted, Statman said.

"This is not a social club. It is a place for people to come and learn. Our theme is to bring a feast to the table and people take what they need from it," she said.

In addition to education, empathy and understanding, NAMI encourages advocacy. The chapter recently supported the passage of the Mental Health Services Act, Proposition 63. Although the act passed in November 2004, determining how the county will use the new funds is still in the planning stage.

"The Mental Health Services Act will provide funds to ensure people receive the services they need," Statman said. "Right now the only place a person is guaranteed to receive treatment is in jail."

NAMI Santa Clara County, 307 Orchard City Drive, Ste. 205, can be contacted at 408.583.0001 or via email at info@namisantaclara.org. General information can be found at www.namisantaclara.org.