NAMI Chaffee County, a local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will offer a free Mental Health Crisis Planning Workshop in March and a free Family-to-Family Class in April. The classes, say organizers, offer the opportunity to share experiences, gain insight, hope, acceptance, compassion and confidence in caring for a family member with a mental illness.
NAMI programs, say its leaders, change lives and help families grasp that mental illness is a biological brain disorder – an illness like any other. “This class was a Godsend. I have a new sense of hope and confidence. I feel like I am so much better informed and prepared to support my son,” said a former class participant.
The Mental Health Crisis Planning Workshop is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon March 23 at the Salida United Methodist Church. The two hour workshop is intended to teach participants what causes a crisis, internal and external triggers, how to recognize signs of a crisis, de-escalation techniques, the role of county crisis teams, when to call 911 and law enforcement response. Participants will also learn what to expect when going to the emergency room, hospital, or treatment facility. Communication skills, problem solving and crisis prevention, as well as creating a crisis plan and information about community resources will be shared and preregistration is required.
The free Family-to-Family Class will meet from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning April 2, at the Salida United Methodist Church. The course will offer an in-depth study of mental illness characteristics, treatment, coping, communication skills, problem solving, connecting with community resources, and advocacy: obtaining better services and fighting the social stigma of mental illnesses. The cutoff date for registering for the class is April 9, and preregistration is required.
The classes are taught by trained peer facilitators who have been there, and targeted to family caregivers, close friends, and other relatives of someone who lives with a serious mental illness. To register for the classes, or for information about other NAMI programs and support groups, contact NAMI Chaffee County at 970-823-4751, or email info@namichaffee.org.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI Chaffee County is an affiliate of NAMI Colorado. NAMI Chaffee County volunteers work to raise awareness and provide essential education, advocacy and support group programs for people in our community living with mental illness and their loved ones.
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