HAMPTON, Va. –
The National Alliance on Mental Illness will sponsor the NAMI Homefront Education Program, created specifically for families of military Service Members and veterans diagnosed with mental illness. The six, free sessions begin Jan. 22, 2015, from 6:30 - 9 p.m., at 100A Medical Drive in Hampton, Virginia.
The course will cover information about Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive, Panic, Obsessive-Compulsive, Borderline Personality and Post-Traumatic Stress disorders; coping skills such as handling crisis and relapse; basic information about medications; listening and communication techniques; problem-solving skills; recovery and rehabilitation; and self-care around worry and stress.
The curriculum was written by an experienced family member mental health professional, and the course will be taught by NAMI Hampton/ Newport News family member volunteers who have taken intensive training as course instructors. Co-teachers for the Hampton/ Newport News area will be Char Cate, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and Debbie Myers, a U.S. Navy veteran.
"This course is a wonderful experience," Cate said. "It balances basic education and skill-training with emotional support, coping strategies, empowerment, and it is truly life changing. We hope families with relatives with a mental illness will take advantage of this unique opportunity."
The course is designed specifically for parents, siblings, spouses, teen-aged and adult sons and daughters, partners and significant others who are caregivers of military Service Members and veterans living with mental illness. The course is not appropriate for individuals who, themselves, have a major mental illness.
Registration is required to attend the program. For more information or to register, call Cate at 817-2960, or Myers at 339-1559.