Start a support-group search by identifying who needs support and what they want from a meeting. Then check the group’s purpose, who can attend, how it is led, the cost and the practical arrangements. Peer groups, groups for loved ones and clinical group therapy serve different roles; a familiar organization name does not tell you everything about a particular meeting.
This guide compares published descriptions of several US support options and provides questions for a first visit. It does not rank their effectiveness, verify a local meeting schedule or recommend replacing clinical care with a group. Support resources. NIMH’s help guidance.
Choose the question before choosing the group
You might want to talk with people who understand a mental-health experience, find support around changing substance use, or speak as the family member of someone receiving care. Write that purpose in one sentence. It helps distinguish support for your own experience from a meeting intended for someone else.
SAMHSA identifies national groups, local groups and state or county agencies as starting points for community support. Its examples include NAMI, SMART Recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. That list is a set of search routes, not a federal endorsement. The examples examined below are selected to illustrate differences in purpose; they are not a complete directory.
Separate peer support from a clinical appointment
SAMHSA describes therapy and counseling as care usually delivered with a licensed behavioral-health professional, individually or in a group. It describes peer recovery support separately. The word “group” alone therefore tells you little about the service, the leader’s role or whether assessment is involved.
Ask the organizer plainly: “Is this a peer meeting, an educational group or clinical group therapy? Who leads it, and what is their role?” If you are looking for treatment, ask your clinician how the proposed group fits the care plan. A meeting facilitator may be the right person for participation rules without being the person to answer a medication or diagnosis question.
Three examples with different audiences
NAMI Connection is a free, peer-led group for adults who have experienced mental-health symptoms, led by trained people with lived experience. NAMI Family Support Group is free and intended for adult loved ones of people with mental-health symptoms; family members lead it. The participant’s role distinguishes these two programs.
SMART Recovery describes free meetings for people addressing addictive or problematic behaviors, guided by trained facilitators. Its meeting format includes discussion and practical tools, and it offers online and in-person options. Use the particular meeting entry to establish arrangements rather than applying a general description to every session.
| Program | Purpose and first question |
|---|---|
| NAMI Connection | Support around your own mental-health experience. Ask which local or virtual session is accepting participants. |
| NAMI Family Support Group | Support for you as an adult loved one. Ask whether the session fits your relationship and circumstances. |
| SMART Recovery | Support around changing addictive behaviors. Ask which meeting and format match what you are seeking. |
NAMI Connection: program description · NAMI Family Support Group: program description · SMART Recovery: meetings and participation
Check the details that determine whether you can attend
Before putting a meeting in your calendar, open the organizer’s current entry and check the date, time zone, format and registration instructions. A general program page can help you choose what to investigate, but it is not confirmation that a particular session will run on a holiday or has space.
Contact the host about the details that matter to you. That might be step-free access, an interpreter, captions, a particular community or a way to join without video. Ask whether there are age or participant restrictions and whether an accompanying person may attend. Do not assume that a meeting for adults can also accommodate children while a parent participates.
For an online meeting, check what software or account is needed and whether the invitation is sent after registration. SMART’s general meeting guidance says camera use is optional; check the instructions for the session you plan to join. If your connection fails, a saved contact or alternative joining instruction is more useful than a search page you cannot find again.
Ask what privacy and participation mean in practice
A group’s commitment to confidentiality is worth discussing before sharing sensitive details. Ask about recordings, screenshots, display names, attendance records and how concerns are handled. For an in-person meeting, ask what happens if you recognize someone. For a virtual meeting, consider who can hear you or see your screen where you are joining.
You can prepare a small amount to say without rehearsing your whole history: “I’m new and would like to understand how this meeting works.” Ask whether listening without speaking is permitted. If a loved one is attending their own group, agree on what each of you wants to keep private rather than expecting a report of the conversation.
Keep the host’s role clear when someone offers advice. Ask whether a statement is a participant’s personal experience, a group practice or clinical guidance. Take questions about changing treatment back to the treating professional. This article does not assess a group’s confidentiality procedures or certify a meeting as safe.
Decide what to do after the first meeting
Use a few concrete observations: Was the purpose what you expected? Could you follow and participate in the format? Were boundaries explained? Can you realistically attend again? Record these for yourself rather than assigning the group a clinical quality score.
If the match feels uncertain, identify what was missing. “I wanted support as a family member, but this meeting focused on participants’ own substance use” suggests a different audience to search for. “I could not hear or use the platform” suggests an access question for the host. Neither conclusion requires judging the people who attended.
When arranging support after a treatment program, discuss the clinical follow-up and community meeting as separate parts of the plan. Confirm who handles the next care appointment and who supplies the meeting information. Our local desk links to public agencies across the regions we cover; SAMHSA also suggests state and county agencies when seeking other community resources.
A first-meeting inquiry you can adapt
This invented example is for an adult seeking support as a loved one. It is a preparation aid, not a required disclosure or a script tested with an organization.
| Part of the record | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Purpose | “I’m looking for support for myself as the family member of an adult receiving care.” |
| Audience | “Is this the right group for that, and are new participants welcome?” |
| Joining | “Do I need to register? What is the current date, time zone and joining process?” |
| Boundaries | “Could you explain participation and privacy expectations before I attend?” |
| Afterward | Note what suited you, what did not, and one question for the host before returning. |
Download the support-group comparison (CSV). Open it in a spreadsheet or print it. Keep your completed copy privately; this site does not collect your answers.
Continue with the next question
- Helping someone prepare for care
- Planning your next steps after treatment
- How to discuss whether therapy is helping
For public contacts and geographic questions, browse our local care guides.
Sources and editorial scope
This guide combines published source guidance with original preparation examples. No named clinician has reviewed this guide. The worksheets are not diagnostic tests, validated measures or assessments of a provider. No interviews or individual care arrangements were verified.
- NIMH: Finding help for mental illnesses
- SAMHSA: finding a support group or local program
- SAMHSA: Types of treatment
- NAMI Connection: program description
- NAMI Family Support Group: program description
- SMART Recovery: meetings and participation
Sources checked September 7, 2026. Read our editorial standards.