BANGOR—NAMI Bangor and NAMI Maine (the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Maine) will sponsor a free Family-to-Family Education Program specifically for families of people diagnosed with mental illness. The 12-week series of classes will be offered in Bangor beginning on Monday, March 28 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and running through June 13. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to enroll in the course, call Betsy at (207) 866-3307 or e-mail her at btsygrs@yahoo.com.
The course is an evaluated, national best practice program and will cover information about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and other major mental illnesses. In addition, the course addresses coping skills such as handling crisis and relapse; medications and other forms of treatment; listening and communication techniques; problem-solving skills; recovery and rehabilitation; advocacy; and self-care.
The course is designed specifically for parents, siblings, spouses, teenage and adult children and significant others of persons with severe and persistent mental illness. The curriculum was written by an experienced family member who is also a mental health professional, and the course will be taught by NAMI family member volunteers who have taken intensive training as course instructors. The co-teachers for the course are from the local area.
“This course is a wonderful experience!” says Christine Canty Brooks, director of Peer and Family Programs at NAMI Maine. “It balances basic psycho-education and skill-training with emotional support, self-care and empowerment. We hope families with relatives who have a mental illness will take advantage of this unique opportunity.”
For more information about all NAMI classes, contact Christine at the NAMI Maine office at 1-800-464-5767, ext. 2305 or email: ccantybrooks@namimaine.org.