NAMI, executive director assist mental health patients and families find the help they need

On Dodi Melvin’s second week on the job as executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for Knox and Licking counties, a man walked into the office.

“He had fallen off this bicycle,” Melvin recalled the event to the Mount Vernon News. “He was all battered and bleeding. He had been to the health department to get treatment for anxiety. They wouldn’t talk to him.”

Melvin listened to the man describe his mental health challenges. Then she wrote a letter and handed it to him.

“You take this to the health department,” she said. “If they don’t help you, let me know.”

He went back to the health department, where he finally received help.

“It showed me what I had to do,” Melvin, who has now been executive director for 17 years, said.

The role of NAMI is to serve as advocates for individuals with mental health issues and their families, assisting them in getting the help they need.

The organization holds classes for family members of those with mental health issues, providing them with information and strategies for taking care of their loved ones. The classes are taught by NAMI-trained instructors.

“When an individual has a mental illness, it affects the whole family,” Melvin told The News. “We offer peer support groups, family support groups; and we advocate for all kinds of things, including research, better legislation, better access to care.”

Melvin is a retired an executive secretary. Her husband passed away in 1993. Her current job has been a learning experience for her, particularly on the impact mental illness has on families.

"You would never understand it unless you've been there with them," she said. "It's been a revelation for me."

This has been a rough year for the organization, as it has been for many nonprofit groups. Donations have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic began earlier this year. Melvin now serves as a non-paid volunteer, continuing to work for the cause.

“At one time we had funding for a director’s salary, and we lost that funding,” she said. “To preserve our funding, I took myself off the payroll because I am able to do that. Not everyone is able to do that. I am glad to do that. It gives me a purpose. And I like to help people if I can.”

For more information on NAMI, click here.