Dhanu Sannesy

Since 1992, Dhanu has been involved with NAMI, including serving as Vice President from 2010-2015 and is current Board President and Program Coordinator of NAMI Orange County, NY.

As a peer and caretaker to a family member who showed signs of mental health challenges in the early 90’s, Dhanu found a NAMI family support group in the local newspaper. After regularly attending support groups and NAMI educational courses, she wanted to continue educating herself on mental health and expanding her knowledge to better understand the illness to help others.

Dhanu is a trained NAMI program leader for NAMI Family to Family, NAMI Basics, NAMI Peer to Peer, NAMI Provider education, a lead presenter of NAMI Ending the Silence, NAMI Friends & Family & NAMI In Our Own Voices, as well as a facilitator and mentor of NAMI Family Support Group & Connection Recovery Support group whose goal is to help others to find strength in themselves and make them feel that they are not alone.

Having served on multiple committees in her local community, Dhanu also received the Muriel Shephard Partners with Families Award from New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services in 2022.

Dhanu earned her Bachelor of Arts with a psychology major.