NAMI Homefront : Education and Support for the Families of Service Members and Veterans

1. NAMI Homefront: Education and Support for the Families of Service Members and Veterans

2. Title of Slide WELCOME! Colleen Duewel, MPH National Director Education, Training & Peer Support

3. Suzanne Robinson, MSW Senior Education Program Manager Teri Brister, PhD Director of Content Integrity & NAMI Basics

4. Why Now?

5. Families Stress & Sacrifice

6. Hidden Heroes: America’s Military Caregivers(RAND Corporation Study, 2014) • In the United States today: • There are an estimated 5.5 million military caregivers • Nearly 20% (1.1 million) are caring for someone who served after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

7. Hidden Heroes: America’s Military Caregivers(RAND Corporation Study, 2014) • Post-9/11 military caregivers are often: • Younger (40% are between ages 18 and 30) • Caring for an individual with a mental health or substance use condition • Nonwhite • Veterans of military service • Employed • Not connected to a support network

8. Because of Our Amazing People! Why NAMI?

9. A History of Success 1997 – NAMI Affiliates in Ohio and Maryland (and no doubt other states!) engage local VA offices to offer NAMI Family-to-Family classes at VA facilities. 2008 & 2010 – Memoranda of Understanding between NAMI and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to offer NAMI Family-to-Family in VA facilities across the country. The course has been presented 200+ times in 114 different VA facilities in all 50 states. 2013 - The NAMI Family-to-Family Program was added to SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs

10. Measuring Our Past Success We are still friends with everyone that was in the class. There’s always and open ear and an open heart and a shoulder to cry on if you need it. Father of a Veteran You realize that he will never be the same having been through war. I learned how to treat him more as an adult than as a hurt child. Mother of a Veteran

11. History of NAMI Homefront • Expert Advisory Group met on 9/11/13 • Continue to advise NAMI • Experts included military families, Veterans, the NAMI Military & Veterans Council and representatives from the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, RAND Corporation, Universal Health Services and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.

12. What is NAMI Homefront? • 6 sessions, 2.5 hours each • Follows NAMI education format • Cultural Adaptation of • NAMI Family-to-Family

13. Target Audience Families and friends of military Service Members and Veterans who have experienced the symptoms of mental illness. The Service Members and Veterans may or may not have a formal diagnosis.

14. What’s Different at a Glance? • Language – Military Terms & Culture • No additional resources in the manuals • Detailed General Resources section • No guest speakers • Collaborative Problem Solving method

15. Title of Slide Course Content Class 1: Introduction to NAMI Family Education Class 2: The Biology of Mental Illness & Getting a Diagnosis Class 3: Understanding Trauma, Overview of Diagnoses Class 4: Treatment Services & Crisis Management Class 5: Crisis Preparation & Communication Skills Class 6: Family Roles, Recovery & Self-Care

16. Class 5: Crisis Preparation & Communication Skills • Collaborative Problem Solving • This approach is used in NAMI Basics • Dr. Ross Greene – The Explosive Child • Think of this as “picking your battles”

17. Title of Slide Class 6: Family Roles, Recovery & Self-Care

18. General Resources Section • Department of Defense Resources • Branches of the Military Resources • Reserves and National Guard Resources • Military Relief Organizations • Military Veterans’ Resources • Other Government Resources • Non-Governmental Resources • Helpful Books & Publications

19. Unlike other NAMI manuals, the Glossary contains numerous terms and acronyms that do NOT appear in the text.

20. Online! NAMI is partnering with… …to create an online version of the course for release in 2015!

21. Online! The online class will be interactive and taught by an instructor live and in real-time removing some of the barriers presented by geography and caregiving responsibilities.

22. Set the “Social” Stage Text Box

23. Interactive Commentary Text Box “Chatversation”

24. Whiteboard= VERB

25. Feedback& Call to Action

26. Title of Slide Evaluation and research for NAMI Homefront will be conducted by: Lisa Dixon, MD, MPH Professor of Clinical Psychiatry Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University  Director, Center for Practice Innovations New York State Psychiatric Institute

27. 10 States Offer NAMI Homefront Pilot States • North Carolina • Ohio • South Carolina • Illinois • Maryland • New York States that Joined in July Maine, Michigan, Virginia and Washington

28. Peg Morrison, MBA Director of Programs

29. Ohio update (effective 8/14/14) • 10 teachers trained • Four more on deck • Three fall classes

30. PromotingFall Classes

31. PromotingFall Classes

32. PromotingFall Classes

33. Longstanding Relationship with VA

34. Title of Session/Workshop Betsey O’Brien Director of Education Programs Michelle Ready Assistant Director of Education Programs

35. Title of Slide What is the NAMI Homefront Education Program? • NAMI Homefront is a free, six-session education program for family, friends and significant others of Military Service Members and Veterans with mental health conditions. It focuses on the unique needs of military and veteran communities, such as post-deployment and post-discharge transitions. • The course is designed to help family members understand and support their loved one while maintaining their own well-being. The trained teachers of this course are also family members who have experience with military culture and know what it is like to have a loved one living with mental illness.

36. Title of Slide • Blitz Promotion of a New Course • Evening News • Talk Shows • Newspaper

37. Title of Slide Organizations that Help Service Members • Wounded Warriors • Veteran Center • VA Offices • VA Clinics (Medical Centers & CBOCs) • American Legion • Colleges with Student Veteran Organizations • Upstate Warrior Solutions • National Guard • Disabled American Veterans • Veterans of Foreign Wars • Alston Wilkes Society • Civil Air Patrol

38. Title of Slide Somehow this dog got its head stuck in a piece of pipe - the story and daily update was my competition while attempting to promote the NAMI Homefront Course in our community. Always know your competition! Tale’s end: Piper ended up freeing himself after a few days on a diet! Poor Piper!

39. Title of Slide Michelle with service dog Ozzy True… If you can’t beat them join them!

40. Title of Slide • Local Mental Health Organizations & Professionals • South Carolina Department of Mental Health • NAMI South Carolina Affiliates • Mental Health America • Psychiatric Hospitals • Psychologists/Counselors/Therapists

41. Title of Slide Other Advertising Areas Churches Bulletin Boards Facebook Friends

42. Title of Slide Lacey Elmange Community Support Coordinator - SC

43. Title of Slide • The Course Offering • The course was taught on three consecutive Saturdays • June 14 – 28, 2014 • 9:30 am – 3:30 pm • Lunch provided by our NAMI affiliate – NAMI AOP (Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties)

44. Title of Slide • Course Registration • 12 Individuals registered • 9 Attended and graduated • Those who couldn’t attend are registered for the next course.

45. First NAMI Homefront Course in the Universe!

46. Title of Slide Evaluation Comments “I love the fact that this course is just for us – military service members and veterans. Outsiders don’t understand.”Spouse “Every family needs this information.” Spouse & employee of a Veteran’s organization

47. Title of Slide Trained NAMI Homefront Teachers • Recruiting was conducted from our current Family to Family Teachers. • The Pilot Sites received training using a live webinar. • Four NAMI SC affiliates participated in the training to launch NAMI Homefront in SC. • Initial teacher recruitment focused on affiliates where there was a higher concentrations of active military and veteran populations.

48. Title of Slide Next Steps for South Carolina • Participation in the Mental Health Summit called “A Community of Care: Building Connections” on 9/11/14 • Participation in the Upstate Veteran Administration’s PTSD Awareness Symposium on 9/17/14

49. Title of Slide Classes Scheduled in SC • NAMI MID-CAROLINA: OCTOBER • Dorn VA & Fort Jackson • NAMI BEAUFORT COUNTY: OCTOBER • Parris Island (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) • NAMI SUMTER: TBD • Shaw Air Force Base

50. Classes scheduled beginning after Labor Day for: • Illinois – VA facilities in Champaign and Peoria and a civilian site in Oak Park • Maine – Augusta • Maryland – Prince George’s County (2) and Rockville • Michigan - Marshall • New York VA facilities in Albany, Buffalo, Manhattan, Rochester and Syracuse (negotiations underway with Fort Drum) • North Carolina – Fort Bragg, Fayetteville and Charlotte • Ohio – Cincinnati (2) and Dayton • South Carolina – Pendleton, Columbia, Sumter (drawing from Shaw AFB) and Beufort (drawing from Parris Island) • Virginia– Gloucester and Portsmouth • Washington - Vancouver