Pros
NAMI is an alliance made up of a national organization, state and local organizations (more than 600 total NAMIs). This review is about the national org. Pros: the NAMI brand is well recognized and that opens doors for opportunities (during your work in the org and beyond). The pay and benefits at NAMI national are good since 2022 when an adjustment was made. The biggest pro is the many amazing, passionate people at NAMI (most are at Director level or below) Their hearts are invested and they’re doing fantastic work.
Cons
NAMI national is a corporation. They run it like a business and seem to determine organizational priorities through available funding. Employees are replaceable. Turnover is high. Top level leadership is inaccessible and unwilling to address issues or make decisions. Compliance and risk aversion is rewarded. Innovation is “encouraged” although framework, process and internal support is lacking. Favoritism is rampant, internal metrics for performance are not a thing, and hiring practices are not standardized. It’s frustratingly political for the size of the organization and the CEO is hands off (essentially not present) inside the organization. Very out of touch with the work and unwilling to engage with the staff beyond disingenuous banter.