NAMI of Collier County was originally named AMI: Alliance for the Mentally Ill. AMI officially commenced operations on May 1, 1986 and was incorporated on November 20, 1987 in Florida. The Board of Directors subsequently changed the organization’s name to NAMI of Collier County following directions from NAMI National. The NAMI membership is comprised of people with serious and persistent mental illnesses, as well as their parents, children, spouses, siblings and friends. The original founders of NAMI were primarily family members of people with chronic mental illness. These individuals met the goal of building a movement to refocus inadequate research and services available to people with mental illness. NAMI of Collier County's mission is to improve the quality of life of the 1 in 4 families affected by serious and persistent mental illness through education, support and advocacy.