Two free mental health education classes will be offered next month by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Four County. One class, Family to Family, is for family members and friends of persons who suffer from a mental illness. The other class, Peer to Peer, is for persons who have a mental illness.
Family to Family is a 12-week class that begins Thursday evening, February 6 starting at 6 p.m. in the community room of the Sherwood State Bank, 400 W. Third St., Defiance. The weekly class meets for 2 ½ hours with each class covering a different topic, including: learning about the symptoms and facts of major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, and understanding each diagnosis as well as the treatment of each illness.
Other topics covered include dealing with difficult periods that a person suffering from a mental illness goes through, including relapse; an up-to-date medication review; a problem-solving workshop; developing strategies on how to better communicate with the mentally ill loved one; and more.
Peer to Peer is a 10 week class that begins at 6 p.m. Monday, February 10 at the Four County ADAMhs Board office, T-761 State Route 66 south of Archbold. Each class is two hours, and includes many of the same type of topics as Family to Family. However, the focus is to help the individual develop and implement their own wellness plan.
The curriculum for both classes was professionally developed by NAMI and instructors for both classes are family members or persons with a mental illness who have been trained by NAMI to teach the class.
The Family to Family class is now listed in SAMHSA’s national registry of evidence-based programs and practices.
Participants in both classes will receive a notebook full of information on each topic covered during the class.
Although the classes are free, registration is required. To register or get more detailed information about the Family to Family class for family members and friends of persons with a mental illness, please call Gary or Barb Arnos at 419/636-0148 evenings or weekends.
To register or learn more about the Peer to Peer class for persons with a mental illness, please call Mark Krieger at 419/913-8576 or 419/923-4841 or Jammie Richmond at 419/770-9488.
INFORMATION PROVIDED