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The fundamentals of caring for you, your family and your child with mental illness

The fundamentals of caring for you, your family and your child with mental illness NAMI North Carolina 2008 Annual Conference. Goals. To provide caregivers the information they need to be effective

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The fundamentals of caring for you, your family and your child with mental illness

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  1. The fundamentals of caring for you, your family and your child with mental illness NAMI North Carolina 2008 Annual Conference

  2. Goals • To provide caregivers the information they need to be effective • To help caregivers cope with the traumatic impact mental illness has on the child and the family • To provide tools for help caregivers make the best decisions regarding care • To help caregivers take the best care possible of their families and themselves

  3. How does it look? • Core Program is 6 classes – 2.5 hours each • Taught in consecutive weekly sessions or two classes per week or on Saturdays • Topic specific, stand alone modules to be added

  4. Content Class 1 – Introduction: It’s not your fault, mental illnesses are brain disorders Class 2 – The biology of mental illness; getting an accurate diagnosis Class 3 – The latest research on the medical aspects of the illnesses & advances in treatment

  5. Content Class 4 – The impact of the child’s mental illness on the rest of the family; skills training Class 5 – The systems involved with your child and the importance of record keeping Class 6 – Advocacy, self-care, review, sharing and evaluation

  6. Year 1 NAMI Basics States Year 2 NAMI Basics States

  7. National numbers as of Oct 5 • 199 teachers trained in 13 states • 30 classes completed with 41 more underway • 253 graduates • First national “Train the Trainer” Oct 2008 • 14 states on waiting list

  8. State numbers as of Oct 11 • 15 teachers trained April 2008 • 2 classes completed – Charlotte, Sanford • 17 graduates • Upcoming classes? • Teacher training – Feb 27, 2009; Forest City

  9. Techniques used in NAMI Family Education • Model and path of transformation attainable • Blame-buster, “you can’t know what no one has told you!” • Re-framing of illness perspective • Mental illness symptoms are REAL, not ‘just’ behavioral

  10. Techniques used in NAMI Family Education • Shift from intense personal focus to group focus • Demonstration of family strength/individual strength • Essential experience of NAMI Group support • Using information overload to break through long-held stereotypes: A “Teach-In” • An invitation to let go of “Hoping against Hope”

  11. Techniques used in NAMI Family Education • Linking brain illness to the body; consciousness raising • Insight into what your child really needs • Empowerment through knowledge of medications • Moving people toward an understanding of their child’s lived experience • Normalizing feelings of entrapment and grief

  12. Life-changing elements of NAMI Family Education Programs • Healing from trauma involves placing a catastrophic personal event into a fuller life perspective, and using the experience to connect in a new and meaningful way with others

  13. Three life-changing elements of the Family to Family Program 2. Consciousness-raising liberates the mind from negative stereotypes and reveals what is manifestly unjust in the status quo

  14. Life-changing elements of the Family to Family Program 3. The empowering call to action provides a significant way to express these new-found strengths in constructive social and political change.

  15. Suggestions from other states • Go for it! • Find partners and allies • Plan for every detail, well in advance • Advertise • Use the media • Develop waiting list • Close communication loop immediately following class

  16. Getting NAMI Basics to your area • Teachers apply and attend training • Support from local affiliate • What the state office can do to help • Filling classes • Optimum class size?

  17. Brainstorming practices that work • Bring community stakeholders onboard • Contact CFAC and local collaborative • Offer childcare and activities for youth • Healthy snacks, especially for children • Target schools serving children with special needs • Other ideas??

  18. Sample community calendar posting • Sandhills Center and Lee Harnett Family Support announce a free family education and support series beginning Saturday, September 13, at the First Baptist Church in Sanford. This 6 part series is for parents and primary caregivers of children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral disorders. Registration is required. Contact Linda Swann toll free at 800-776-6702 or by email yfsandhills@mindspring.com

  19. NAMI Basics Education Program For more information contact Jennifer Rothman Director, NAMI NC Young Families Program 800-451-9682 jrothman@naminc.org

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