Family to Family
The NAMI Family to Family Education Program is designed to help family members gain a greater understanding of mental illness, cope better, worry less and feel newly empowered to advocate for better treatment and services for their loved one. Many family members describe the impact of taking this course as life changing.
Congratulations to the newest Family to Family Teacher Training Graduates – January 2010 |
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| L to R – Front Row: Scott Smith, Norma Smith (F2F State Teacher Trainers), Robyn Moses-Harney, Donna Stamper, Pam Burns, Annette Carbonneau, Janis Wolak and Rose Long Back Row: Robin Peck, Wendy Stanley-Jones, Sheila Johnson, Dave Pelletier and Robin Blanchette |
The program consists of a series of twelve classes for family members of a person with serious and persistent brain disorders (mental illnesses). These classes represent a new concept and curriculum. In this model, the course co-teachers are family members themselves, and the course has been designed and written by an experienced family member who is also a mental health professional. The course balances education and skill training with self-care, emotional support and empowerment. Important components of the course are:
- Information about Major Depression, Bipolar Illness, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Schizophrenia.
- Coping Skills; handling crisis and relapse.
- Listening and communication techniques.
- Problem solving and limit setting; rehabilitation.
- Understanding the actual experience of people suffering from mental illness.
- Self-care; learning to recognize normal emotional reactions in family members.
- Basic information about medications and their side effects.
- Information about connecting with appropriate community services and community supports.
- Advocacy: Getting better services, fighting discrimination and stigma.
The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is designed for families of persons who have been diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness, as well as those who exhibit behavior that suggest such a diagnosis.
Spring 2010 Classes:
Berlin - Starting Tuesday, April 6th and ending June 22nd - 6:00 - 8:30 pm. To register or for more information, contact Rose Long at 449-2177 or 752-5400, or via email at rlong@northernhs.org.
Concord - Starting in March - start date and time to be determined. To register or for more information, contact Betty Nitchie at 224-4207 or via email at btnitchie@gmail.com.
Littleton - Starting in March - start date and time to be determined. To register or for more information, contact Annette Carbonneau at 823-5374 or via email at carfamily1@roadrunner.com.
Milford/Amherst - area starting in early April - location to be announced. To register or for more information, contact Chet Littlefield at (603) 882-6262 or via email at chet5115@hotmail.com.
Nashua - Starting Monday, March 8 through May 24, 2010. To register or for more information, contact Pam Burns at (603) 888-6219 or via email at parburns@gmail.com.
Peterborough - Starting the first week in March, 6:30 - 9:00 pm. To register contact Patricia Whitney at 763-5054 or Patricia.Whitney@CrotchedMountain.org or Becca Lawrence at 563-9946 or sunnybrookfarm@mac.com.
Portsmouth - Starting Tuesday, February 9th - 5:30 - 6:00 pm - light dinner, class begins at 6:00 pm. Classes will be held at the Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth. To register or for more information, contact Diane Cyr at 431-6703 x. 3167 or 498-5025, or via email at dcyr@smhc-nh.org.
THE NAMI NH FAMILY-TO-FAMILY EDUCATION PROGRAM IS FREE. For additional information, please contact Annette Carbonneau at 603-225-5359 ext 25 or email acarbonneau@naminh.org., or feel free to contact any of the following Family to Family teachers in your area:
Our “Travel Team”- teach in several communities
Helen Harrison
Harri871y@comcast.netValerie Acres
valerieacres@comcast.net
Peterborough Area
Patricia Whitney
Patricia.whitney@crotchedmountain.orgRebecca Lawrence
sunnybrookfarm@mac.com
Portsmouth Area
Diane Cyr
dcyr@smhc-nh.orgReid Cooper
reid865@gmail.comJackie Ellis
jackie.ellis1@gmail.com
Concord Area
Pat Nelson
patknelson@yahoo.comBetty Nitchie
NAMIConcordBNitchie@gmail.com
Conway Area
Elaine and Brooks South
elainesouth@roadrunner.com
Manchester VA
Diane Guidi
anxaxed@aol.comMarge (Margaret) Galvin
mlgalvin2@yahoo.com
Hollis/Merrimack Area
Sue Allen
sallen@naminh.orgChet Littlefield
chet5115@hotmail.com
NAMI NH State Trainers and Nashua area teachers
Scott and Norma Smith
Ssmith411@aol.com
Family to Family Coordinator
Annette Carbonneau- 225-5359 x25
Acarbonneau@naminh.org
NOTE: Family to Family is for persons with an adult family member with mental illness.
Funding for this program is sponsored in part by dues and donations.