People with schizophrenia suffer from high rates of social isolation, loneliness and marginalization, as do their family members and caregivers. But there is a desperate lack of programs that provide the practical and social support they need to navigate this serious brain disease.

S&PAA is the only national organization that offers support groups exclusively for schizophrenia and psychosis disorders. This is an important distinction, as schizophrenia is widely acknowledged as the most severe mental illness and its challenges often differ dramatically from other mental health conditions. We manage eight support groups that serve people with schizophrenia and four support groups tailored for family members. But the demand is higher than our current resources can meet, and there is a waiting list for many of our support groups. We seek support to allow us to expand the number of support groups and provide additional oversight and management of this expanded network.

S&PAA also runs a helpline that provides personalized non-crisis help for people with schizophrenia and those who care for them and serves as a reliable source of information, guidance and emotional support. The helpline is supported by a resource library of best-practice information. Due to the complex, always-changing laws and practices that vary across national, state and local levels, compiling a comprehensive database of information is time consuming and never ending. Our goal is to develop a continually updated system of information that can be shared with the community, which will enhance the quality of support we offer and help ensure that accurate, up-to-date information is readily available, promoting a culture of education, understanding and empowerment within the community.