NAMI South Dakota, a nonprofit that provides free mental health support to residents across the state, has announced that its Board of Directors made the “difficult decision to dissolve the organization.”
NAMI South Dakota’s phone went unanswered as of Feb. 13. Its website is mostly inactive, with a brief message about support group meetings being canceled, but it offers online resources on the general NAMI website.
The most recent post on its Facebook page was on Feb. 5.
In an email statement to employees and supporters, NAMI South Dakota stated the directive does not “reflect the importance of our mission,” but rather a response to the “significant and ongoing financial challenges facing the nonprofit sector nationwide.”
Those challenges included reduced funding, rising operational costs and increasing financial uncertainty.
“We are incredibly proud of the work NAMI South Dakota has accomplished over the years,” the organization stated. “… we have been able to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide hope and resources to countless individuals and families impacted by mental illness.”
About NAMI South Dakota
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) maintains itself as the “nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization,” with more than 650 state organizations and affiliates.
There were eight affiliates in South Dakota in addition to classes, programs and wellness activities offered in Sioux Falls, Sisseton and Milbank via the NAMI South Dakota Consumer Council.
NAMI South Dakota has provided more than 1,500 phone referrals and served 80 individuals at its annual conference. More than 4,700 people were reached by signature programs and 2,000 more by community events, according to the organization.
Staff members were informed of NAMI South Dakota being dissolved and that they were no longer employed with the organization by email Feb. 4.
The Argus Leader reached out to multiple NAMI South Dakota board members but had not received a response. Executive Director Sheri Nelson issued the same response previously given to employees.
Program Director, Brooke Hoffman of Sioux Falls, traveled throughout the state of South Dakota, speaking with K-12 students at various schools.
“I gave presentations about mental health, why it’s important, how to take care of it, warning signs, trusted adults. Suicide prevention to older kids,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman was the only program coordinator with the organization for the entire state of South Dakota, serving since September 2025.
Hoffman also had regular appointments with the Juvenile Detention Center in Sioux Falls and was scheduled to conduct crisis intervention trainings (CIT) with law enforcement at the Minnehaha County Jail and Public Safety Center in Sioux Falls.
“I was also invited to speak at the South Dakota HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) event in previous years,” Hoffman said. ‘A lot of kids attend that.”
HOSA lists NAMI as one of its many partners for the organization.
Hoffman was staying in Watertown while working with the Hamlin School District, one of five schools she worked with and more were in the process of being scheduled when she got the Feb. 4 phone call from Nelson telling her the organization had been dissolved and to stop all services.
“She then sent me the email to send to the schools I was working with,” Hoffman said, estimating the impact to be about 750 students.
Hoffman had been working under a Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) grant provided by SAMHSA that was awarded to South Dakota Behavioral Health, part of the South Dakota Department of Social Services. The grant was set to expire in September.
“It’s been a really hard blow for me personally,” Hoffman said. “I’m struggling a bit with my own mental health over it but trying to look forward too.”
Mental health in Sioux Falls
Beginning in 1988, Sioux Falls had a more localized NAMI affiliate, NAMI Sioux Falls, an independent nonprofit that offered classes and support services to local families.
In February 2020, NAMI Sioux Falls merged with the NAMI South Dakota office, a decision made by the national NAMI office, according to previous Argus Leader reporting.
“They have moved ahead with terminating the NAMI Sioux Falls Affiliate and have asked the NAMI South Dakota State Organization to step in to provide all programming for the Sioux Falls area,” NAMI South Dakota said in a statement.
In Sioux Falls, 16.8% of adults have been reported to have been diagnosed with depression and adolescent mental health ranked second in the city’s top three health priorities, according to the 2025 City of Sioux Falls Community Health Assessment.
Mental health in South Dakota
According to NAMI South Dakota data from May 2025, 166,000 state residents have a mental health condition, with more than 650,000 who live in communities without sufficient mental health care. More than 10,000 adolescents aged 12-17 have anxiety and depression in South Dakota, with 11,000 having serious thoughts of suicide per year.
Among six community health priorities, improving mental and behavioral health ranked 3rd in a 2023 South Dakota Department of Health Assessment on overall health.
Moving forward
Additional mental health resources, some of which are free, in Sioux Falls and throughout the state of South Dakota are listed on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, staffed in Sioux Falls by the Helpline Center.
More: Breaking barriers and filling gaps: How MWI Health is expanding mental health support
As for Hoffman, the connections she made during her time with NAMI South Dakota have helped provide leads to new opportunities, while also working part time for Emily’s Hope.
“I have a few connections from being out in the community from volunteering with them and from working at NAMI,” she said. I’m just using what resources I have to get leads on a new role. Hopefully something similar to what I got to do for NAMI.”
“While NAMI South Dakota will be dissolving, the need for mental health support remains vital,” the Board of Directors said in a statement. “We encourage our community members to continue seeking and supporting mental health resources and organizations serving South Dakotans.”
Vanessa Carlson Bender is the real estate and development reporter for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Reach her at vbender@gannett.com.
