NAMI Brown County offers free classes throughout the year for family members and loved ones of those living with mental health conditions. Classes are taught by trained mentors who have been there. In NAMI Brown County’s family education programs, family is viewed from a broad perspective to include parents, siblings, spouses, sons and daughters, partners and significant others. The classes are designed to help all family members understand and support their loved one with a mental health condition while maintaining their own well-being. Family-to-Family is for family members of adults living with mental health conditions, and NAMI Basics is for family members of adolescents living with mental health conditions.
Family-to-Family is a free, 8-session education course for family and friends of people living with mental illness. The program offers a relaxed, trusting, and safe environment for participants to develop insight, skills, and emotional understanding to support the mental health recovery of a loved one.
This evidence-based course is taught by a team of trained instructors who also are family members of people living with mental illness. The instructors will guide participants to better understand, advocate for and support loved ones while maintaining their own and their family’s well-being.
Space is limited and registration is required. Scroll down on this page to read more about the class.
What You’ll Gain
NAMI Family-to-Family not only provides critical information and strategies for taking care of the person you love, but you’ll also find out that you’re not alone. Recovery is a journey, and there is hope.
The group setting of NAMI Family-to-Family provides mutual support and shared positive impact—you can experience compassion and reinforcement from people who understand your situation. You can also help others through your own experience. In the program, you’ll learn about:
- How to manage crises, solve problems and communicate effectively
- Taking care of yourself and managing your stress
- Developing the confidence and stamina to provide support with compassion
- Finding and using local supports and services
- Up-to-date information on mental health conditions and how they affect the brain
- Current treatments, including evidence-based therapies, medications and side effects
- The impact of mental illness on the entire family
Our next Family-to-Family class will begin in September. A registration link will be shared here closer to that time.
The OnDemand program is guided by parents and family members with lived experienced. It is self-paced and available 24/7. OnDemand offers the flexibility of participating in the course on your schedule. This format provides strategies and the opportunity to connect with other parents and caregivers. If you would like to take NAMI Basics on Demand, please visit: https://basics.nami.org/
NAMI Basics OnDemand Goals
At NAMI Basics, you’ll find out that you’re not alone. Learning to cope with your child’s mental health condition is a journey, and there is hope. The group setting of NAMI Basics provides mutual support and shared positive impact—you can experience compassion and reinforcement from people who understand your situation. You also can help others with your own experience.
NAMI Basics covers:
- Managing crises, solving problems and communicating effectively
- How to take care of yourself and handle stress
- Developing the confidence and stamina to support your child with compassion
- Advocating for your child’s rights at school and in health care settings
- Learning about current treatments, including evidence-based therapies, medications and side effects
- Gaining an overview of the public mental health care, school and juvenile justice systems
- Understanding the challenges and impact of mental health conditions on your entire family
