An Educational Program for Parents/Caregivers of Children with Mental Illness

National-Alliance-Mental-IllnessThe NAMI Porter County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will sponsor the NAMI Basics Education Program, specifically for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents with mental illness. The 6 week series of classes will begin in Portage in September. The class is free to participants.

The course will cover information about ADHD, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse Disorders. It will also cover coping skills such as handling crisis and relapse; basic information about medication use in treatment of mental illness in children; listening and communication techniques; problem solving skills; and an overview of the mental health and school systems’ roles in treating children with mental illness.

The curriculum was written by an experienced family member and mental health professional. The course will be taught by two volunteers who are parents or other caregivers of individuals who developed mental illness as children. These volunteers have taken an extensive training as course instructors.

For more information or to register for this class, please call (219) 764-2958 and ask for NAMI Basics Registration. Class size is limited.