Hosted by: The Family Institute for Education, Practice & Research and

Welcome to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Overview Webinar Hosted by: The Family Institute for Education, Practice & Research and Pat Sine, Executive Director of Rochester NAMI The webinar will begin shortly. Thank you for your patience. For audio access, please call 1-800-244-9194, then enter code: 990024# For any technical difficulties, please call 585-732-4040

Agenda for Today • Hello and introductions • Pat Sine, Executive Director from Rochester NAMI, will give an overview of NAMI and discuss services, treatment and support that are available to consumers and their families. • Questions and Discussion

Today’s Context – NAMI and CCFC • The NAMI programs presented today are among the spectrum of possible services for consumers and families – while “no one size shoe fits all”, NAMI is a source of information, support and hope for many. • NAMI fits extremely well in many situations, such as (but not limited to): • When a consumer wishes for his/her family to “better understand” • When the consumer is impacted by a family that is stressed out and/or overwhelmed by situations involving the consumer • When a family lacks information about community resources • When a family member seems “over-involved” and/or may not have support from other people to talk about boundaries and limit setting • When the consumer and practitioner want to partner and/or problem-solve with family members around a consumer’s goal as part of their recovery plan -- but first the family needs education and accurate information

History of NAMI NAMI’s National Organization was founded in 1979 in Madison, WI. It was started by two mothers whose sons were diagnosed with schizophrenia. These women were upset with the lack of services for their sons and the mothers were tired of being blamed for the sons’ mental illnesses. The women came together, became active, and brought together a group of people who were also dissatisfied with their mental health services. These individuals networked and sent out invitations, inviting community members to their first planning meeting. A dozen or so people were expected to attend but more than 100 people, also dissatisfied with mental health services, attended this meeting. The organization grew from that point to what is now known as NAMI. NAMI advocated for access to services, treatment, support and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for all those in need.

NAMI Programs • NAMI Basics • NAMI Connections • Criminal Justice Program • Family to Family • In Our Own Voice • Peer to Peer • Hearts and Minds • Family Support Groups • Provider Education Program

NAMI Basics • Purpose: NAMI Basics is an education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. • Duration: The NAMI Basics course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years. The course is approximately six weeks totaling 3 hours of training. • Components: Introduction to emotional reactions of the family to the trauma of mental illness, insights into the lived experience of the child living with the mental illness, current information about specific mental illnesses and research related to the biology, the most effective treatment strategies, workshops to learn problem solving and communication skills, information about how to interact with the school system and mental health system, information on planning for crisis management, relapse, locating supports and services within the community and advocacy initiatives designed to improve and expand services.

NAMI Connection • Purpose: To support adults living with mental illness. These groups offer a casual and relaxed approach for members to share challenges and successes of coping with mental illness. Participants should feel welcome to drop by and share feelings, difficulties, or successes. • Duration: Meets weekly for 90 minutes. • Components: Free of charge; flexible structure without an educational format, does not recommend or endorse any medications or other medical therapies. Support groups are open to all adults with mental illness, regardless of diagnosis. • Disponibleen Español

Criminal Justice Program • Purpose: Provide consultation, supportive assistance and direct intervention services to families when a family member with mental illness encounters the criminal justice system, is arrested, faces court action or is incarcerated in a state or local correctional facility. • Duration: Ongoing, as needed services. Quarterly meetings at regional sites across the state for NAMI Criminal Justice Family Advocates. • Components: NAMI Criminal Justice Family Advocates will educate those who work in the justice system on understanding the difference between criminal behavior that usually involves a course of conduct and a person experiencing symptoms related to brain disorders.

Family to Family • Purpose: The curriculum provides participants with clear, accurate, and practical information on topics such as the categories: the biology of mental illness; medications and research; crisis management; communication skills; problem solving; self-care; advocacy, and recovery. • Duration: 12-week family psychoeducation course. • Components: Offered to and taught by – individuals who have a loved one with a serious mental illness. The course – taken by over 115,000 individuals nationwide to date – is offered by NAMI-NYS affiliates free of charge. • Disponible en Español

In Our Own Voice • Purpose: Mental health consumers or former consumers share their individual experiences of recovery and transformation. • Duration: All presentations are offered free of charge and last 2-3 hours. • Components: Public education program developed by NAMI, in which two trained consumer speakers share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery.

Peer-to-Peer • Purpose: An experiential course for people with serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery. • Duration: Nine, two-hour units taught by a team of three trained mentors who are personally experienced at living well with mental illness. • Components:This program is offered through NAMI-NYC Metro. Participants come away from the course with a binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources: an advance directive; a “relapse prevention plan” to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention; mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking; and survival skills for working with providers and the general public. • Disponible en Español

Hearts and Minds • Purpose: For Individuals with a mental illness diagnosis, taught by peers • Duration: 6 week course on nutrition, exercise, meal planning and personal awareness • Components: A special interactive “Hearts & Minds” Web site including discussion groups. A facilitator’s guide and tool kit for local community discussions. A DVD that can be downloaded or purchased through NAMI’s online store. A booklet on health strategies and risks that also can be downloaded or purchased. Printed fact sheets on a broad range of topics.

Family Support Groups • Purpose: For family members, partners, caregivers and friends of someone living with a mental illness. This group offers emotional support, and is a way of sharing knowledge and resources. • Duration: Two meeting per month • Components: Family Support groups are made up of people with common interests and experiences. This group offers information and resources about a variety of treatments, research and strategies.

Provider Education Program • Purpose: The Provider Course emphasizes the involvement of consumers and family members as faculty in provider-staff training. • Duration: Meets once a week for 5-weeks • Components: The teaching team consists of five people: two family members trained as Family-to-Family Education Program teachers, two consumers who are knowledgeable about their own mental illness, have a supportive relationship with their families, and a mental health professional who is also a family member or consumer. This course teaches the emotional aspects and practical consequences of these illnesses to the academic medical information.

In addition to the programs that NAMI offers there are also NAMI Walks throughout the United States… This year NAMI celebrated the 11th anniversary of the NAMI walks. Through NAMI Walks there is a public & active display of support for people affected by mental illness. They are changing how Americans view persons with a mental illness. They are proud to be the largest and most successful mental health awareness and fundraising event in America! For more information about NAMIWALKS in your area, cut and paste the following web address into your browser: http://www.namiwalks.org/

Contact information for your local, state and national level NAMI programs: Local: www.nami.org/.../CustomSource/AffiliateFinder.cfm&State=NY State: www.naminys.org National: www.nami.org

Wrap Up & Additional Discussion

Thank you for being with us today • The slides in this webinar will be made available on our website at www.nysfamilyinstitute.org • Next webinar series for QITs will be held on November 5th & 6th from 3:00pm-4:00pm • Next event for PRACTITIONERS will be held on November 12th& 13th from 3:00pm-4:00pm • Please complete the 3 survey questions before you log off

Hosted by: The Family Institute for Education, Practice & Research and