NAMI Family-to-Family Education Course
For families, friends, spouses and partners
A free 8-week course, the NAMI Family-to-Family Education course follows
a set curriculum which balances education and skills training with self-care,
emotional support and empowerment
Course topics include:
- Understanding mental health conditions and preparing for crisis
- Getting a diagnosis
- An overview of depressive disorders, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety and other mental health conditions
- Treatment options for mental health conditions
- The biology of the brain, medications and side effects
- Listening and communication techniques
- Problem solving and limit setting
- Understanding what it’s like to have a mental health condition
- Recovery and rehabilitation as they relate to mental health conditions
- Moving forward and self-care
The NAMI Family-to-Family Education course is an 8-week education program for family, friends and significant others of adults with mental health conditions. There is no fee to attend and all course materials are provided at no cost.
The course is taught by trained volunteers who are also family members who have a loved one with a mental health condition. It is designed to help all family members understand and support their loved one with a mental health condition while maintaining their own well-being.
NAMI Family-to-Family is a designated evidenced-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition. For information on the research base for the program, email
namieducation@nami.org.
Our participants say...
Family Member
"Excellent. I feel this Education Course has saved my son's life as well as mine. It has given me strength and understanding so I can better understand and help him in a positive direction."
Parent
"Incredible - supportive, educational, grounding, comforting, positive, pro-active."
Family Member
"I think this is the best course anybody could take to better understand the illnesses and it helps you learn to better care for that person. It's a course that I think everyone should take. I wish I had it 6 years ago when things started with my wife."
Spouse
"I thought the course was wonderful: so much knowledge and information put before us. It was a lot to absorb - I know I will be using it for reference and re-read to get me through the rough patches for years to come."
Family Member
"The fact that my parents took the course probably saved my life. Without the education they received I would not have called them to help me when I overdosed."
Consumer (child)
Interested in taking a course? Find out where it is offered:
