Pay it Forward the NAMI Way

Did someone help you during your family’s journey of recovery?

If you want to give back in a meaningful way, become a Family-to-Family teacher.

Qualifications

-Your family member lives with mental illness.

-You are willing to co-teach a Family-to-Family course.

-Available for teacher training Feb. 20 to 22 in Pittsburgh.   

 

NAMI's Family-to-Family program is a 12-week education course for family and friends of adults who are living with mental illness. The course is designed to help individuals understand and support their loved one living with mental illness. More family members are needed to teach so that this course can be offered on a more frequent basis.

No prior teaching experience is necessary. NAMI will provide you with everything you need so that you feel confident and comfortable in co-teaching this curriculum.
 

It is recommended that you've already completed the Family-to-Family course yourself but not necessary. 

Download an application for the Teacher Training.
 

Spring 2012 Family-to-Family Classes Announced

Our spring Family-to-Family classes have been scheduled. Sponsored by NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania and NAMI Pennsylvania, the Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 11-week course for families and friends of individuals with serious mental illness. The course is taught by trained family members who have lived with this experience. Many family members describe this program as life changing.

Class sizes are limited so register today!

Butler County
Passavant Center Chapel
Zelienople, PA 16063
Classes beginning Saturday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For more information and to register, contact the Butler NAMI Office at (724) 431-0069

Squirrel Hill
Children's Institute
1405 Shady Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Classes beginning Monday, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

East Liberty
Veterans Place of Washington Blvd.
945 Washington Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Classes beginning Monday, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. 

North Hills
NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania Office
105 Braunlich Drive, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Classes beginning Tuesday, March 6, 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

South Hills
Pittsburgh Baptist Church
3100 Pioneer Ave. Dormont, PA 15226
Classes beginning Tuesday, March 6, 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

For more information or to register for a class, please contact our office at 412-366-3788.

Spring Family to Family Courses

Spring is just around the corner, and that means NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's Family-to-Family Education Classes will be starting soon.

Sponsored by NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania and NAMI Pennsylvania, the Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 11-week course held in March and September for families and friends of individuals with brain disorders called serious mental illness. The course is taught by trained family members who have lived with this experience. Many family members describe this program as a life-changing experience.

Spring 2012 classes will be held in the following locations:

Squirrel Hill
Children's Institute
1405 Shady Ave. Pittsburgh, PA  15217
Classes beginning Monday, February 27th, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

East Liberty
Time and Date to be Determined

North Hills
Time and Date to be Determined

South Hills
Time and Date to be Determined

For more information or to register for a class, please contact our office at 412-366-3788.


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Family to Family Education Class for Spanish-Speaking Families

De Familia a Familia - Las clases de salud mental para familias

For the first time in the Pittsburgh area, NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania will be offering a Family-to-Family education class for Spanish-speaking families!

The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses. The course has been described as "life-changing" by many of its participants.

The Spanish-speaking class will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the St. Regis Social Church Hall, 235 Parkview Ave. in Oakland from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Alby Gates and Jorge Tizol will be teaching the class. All calls regarding this class should be direct to Alby (412) 244-3142 or Jorge (412) 788-4582.

Visit our website for more information on De Familia a Familia and for more information on additional upcoming Family to Family classes.


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Family to Family Classes Beginning

Fall is just around the corner, and that means NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's Fall Family-to-Family Education Classes will be starting soon. Sponsored by NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania and NAMI Pennsylvania, the Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 11-week course held in March and September for families and friends of individuals with brain disorders called serious mental illness. The course is taught by trained family members who have lived with this experience. Many family members describe this program as a life-changing experience.

Fall 2011 classes will be held in the following locations:

Dormont/Brookline
Pittsburgh Baptist Church
3100 Pioneer Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15226
Classes beginning Tuesday, August 30, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

East Liberty
Veterans Place of Washington Blvd.
945 Washington Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Classes beginning Wednesday, September 7, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

WPAHS Outpatient Care Center
Peters Town Center
160 Gallery Drive, McMurray, PA 15317
Classes beginning Tuesday, August 16, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

For more information or to register for a class, please contact our office at 412-366-3788.


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Family to Family Class: Dormont

It may still be summertime, but we're always planning ahead at NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania! We're pleased to announce our first Family to Family education class for Fall 2011 - details are below!

Location:  Pittsburgh Baptist Church, 3100 Pioneer Ave. Dormont, PA  15226
Start Date:  Tuesday, August 30th
Time: To Be Announced

For more information or to register for the class, give us a call at 412-417-9810 or email Lora Dziemiela at ldziemiela@namiswpa.org.

Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Reaching Out

Some rights reserved by andrew and hobbes

There are many challenges to deal with when you or a loved one is living with a mental illness. NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania is committed to reaching out to consumers and family members throughout all stages of recovery. Through support groups, Family-to-Family education programs and awareness-raising events like the NAMI Walk, NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania is dedicated to providing support for those impacted by mental illness.

Want to be a part of this important work? There are many ways to get involved, support recovery and increase awareness of mental illness in southwestern Pa. Call us at 412-366-3788 to find out more!

Family-to-Family Update: North Hills Class Added!

Another Family-to-Family class will be starting this September - a North Hills class will be taking place at the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania office!

Details for the North Hills Family-to-Family class are as follows:

Location:  105 Braunlich Drive Suite 200  Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Class Starting Date: Sept. 14

Class Time: 6:30-9 p.m.

To register for this or any of the Family-to-Family classes, call 412-366-3788!

Family to Family: Fall Classes and Teacher Training Update

Fall is almost here, and that means NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's Fall Family-to-Family Education Classes will be starting soon. Sponsored by NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania and NAMI Pennsylvania, the Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 11-week course held in March and September for families and friends of individuals with brain disorders called serious mental illness. The course is taught by trained family members who have lived with this experience. Many family members describe this program as a life-changing experience.



In an effort to expand the Family-to-Family program throughout the 10-county region, NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania held a July Family-to-Family Teacher Training at the North Hills office. Training took place over three days and consisted of four psychoeducational classes that covered basic factual information as well as training about the emotional aspects of the family experience. The nine individuals that completed the July training are: Jean Cheppa, Theresa Gleason, Susan Harrington, Jennifer Lukondi, Mary Lindsay, Joyce (Maci) Maciak, Christine Michaels, Susan Niesser and Annie Watson.

September Family-to-Family classes will be held at the following locations:

Squirrel Hill: Children's Institute, 1405 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, begins Monday, Sept. 13, 6:30 - 9 p.m.

East Liberty: Veteran's Place of Washington Blvd., 945 Washington Blvd., Pittsburgh, begins Friday, Sept. 10, 6:30 - 9 p.m.

Washington, Pa: 907 Jefferson Avenue, begins Monday, Sept. 20, 7 - 9:30 p.m.

To register for a class or for more information about Family-to-Family or other NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania programs, please call (412)-366-3788!

Step #6 Of Living A Balanced Life

According to NAMI's Family-to-Family program, there are seven principles for caregivers to live a balanced life. The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth principles were highlighted in previous blog posts.

Principle #6 is : Continue pursuing your own interests.

Caring for a loved one with mental illness is an incredibly important role in the life of a family member. The caregiver is an integral part of their loved one's well being and recovery, and it is important to keep emotional reserves full to handle the inevitable challenges.

One key way to do this is to pursue your own interests. Often, caregivers feel guilty taking time for themselves to do something they enjoy. However, filling up one's own reserves by engaging in rewarding activities is a vital part of a well-balanced life.

What is it that you enjoy doing outside of home and work? What activity engages you? Is there something you've been meaning to learn about? Is there a hobby or activity you used to enjoy but stopped doing?

In pursuing something for oneself, a caregiver is taking essential steps in offering the loved one a well-rounded, whole person.

For information on mental illness and support for family members, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

Step #5 Of Living A Balanced Life

According to NAMI's Family-to-Family program, there are seven principles for caregivers to live a balanced life. The first, second, third and fourth principles were highlighted in previous blog posts.

Principle #5 is: Seek out and join a support group.

Support groups are an important resource for people caring for a loved one with mental illness.

Support groups allow caregivers to come together, share ideas, coping tips, experiences and most importantly, to exchange emotional support. Most support groups are facilitated by a leader with personal experience. The primary goal of many support groups is that no one the group serves ever has to feel alone again.

Members report that a support group gives them faith and hope. It makes them laugh despite the trials of their situations. It helps them to come to terms with the illnesses of their loved ones. Together, the mutual support can be an integral part of a balanced life for a caregiver.

To find a support group, visit the Support Group page on NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website.

Family-to-Family Week 11/12

Note: One of our current participants is writing a weekly series about her experience in NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 12-week education program. This is her final post.*

Part of the class was devoted to hearing from long time mental health advocates who have been active in organizations like NAMI for years. They told us about the struggles they have gone through and the persistence is takes to make change happen. Advocacy by family members is so important because we live with the challenges of mental illness every day, and, often, the mentally ill cannot speak for themselves.

Advocacy not only creates changes in the system, but it also helps heal the families of those with mental illness. Giving back keeps your focus on positive things and prevents you from becoming mired in your own problems.

As we sampled the goodies that each of us brought to this last class, we discussed what the Family-to-Family experience had meant to each of us. One of the most often mentioned gifts was that of friendship and support. Before, many of us had felt isolated and alone with our loved one's problems. Now we each knew a dozen or more people in our own community who were struggling with the same issues. And, given the statistic that, over a lifetime, one in four people will be affected by mental illness, we all know now that we are not alone; there are many others out there just like us. We also know, thanks to this class, that there is help for our loved ones and hope for the future.

Most of our last Family-to-Family class was a celebration--of making it through 11 Monday nights, of the discoveries we'd made about our loved ones and ourselves, and of the bonding that had taken place between all of us during class and in our lingering discussions after.

We also celebrated the hope we had found in the model of recovery, and the strength of those who came before us to create NAMI and the Family-to-Family program.

For more information, Visit the Family-to-Family section of the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

*The Family-to-Family course is normally 12 weeks, but the co-teachers combined weeks 11 and 12 into one class.

Family-to-Family Week 10

Note: One of our current Family-to-Family participants is writing a weekly series about her experience in NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 12-week education program. This is her 10th post.

When a loved one's behavior changes and a diagnosis of mental illness is made, the family's immediate concern is for the present situation--getting their loved one appropriate treatment. But, what happens after that? Until the late 80s, the treatment model for mental illness did not extend beyond stabilization and maintenance. People were given medication and therapy to control their symptoms or behaviors, but there was no discussion of recovery. People with mental illness and their families were given no vision of hope for moving beyond the status quo.

However, with the input of family members and mental health consumers, and the creation of innovative rehabilitation programs, recovery has become the focus of long-term treatment. Our Family-to-Family class discussed the concept of recovery, how it means something different for each individual, and how it begins with an individuals decision to "lead a hopeful life and to make a contribution in spite of the limitations imposed by illness" (Patricia Deegan, Consumer and Clinical Psychologist).

Our guest speaker for the second half of the class was a recovering mental health consumer, who had been through years of misdiagnosis, treatments, tests and hospitalizations. She is now starting her own business, based on helping others with mental illness and is taking an active role in advocating for others as well.

One point in this week's class that struck me was that until an individual has the self awareness to make this decision, we can provide them with understanding, patience and support, but we cannot push them into recovery. Self awareness is often something that is taken away or distorted by mental illness, so it is often a long and difficult road, for both the individual with mental illness and their family, just to get to the point where recovery begins.

Without NAMI and the Family-to-Family class, it was clear that many people in need would not even know where to start. There are a number of programs now that supply the atmosphere in which this self awareness is achieved: Clubhouses provide a place for people to simply get out and meet others, talk to peers who have been where they are, and, if they are ready, provide direction for next steps. Job skills training, peer-to-peer supports, housing assistance and job placement assistance are all available to those who are ready to move forward.

For more information, visit the Family-to-Family section of the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

Step #4 Of Leading A Balanced Life

According to NAMI's Family-to-Family Education Program, there are seven principles for a caregiver to lead a balanced life. The first, second and third principles were discussed in previous posts.

The fourth principle is to maintain social contacts.

Never underestimate the importance of maintaining regular contact with your circle of friends or social network. This can include friends, church contacts, acquaintances from clubs and former or current co-workers. It is important for the primary caregiver to maintain a social network beyond the family or caregiving circle.

These friends--who are not immersed in the family situation--lend support to the caregiving process. They spend time with the caregiver and offer objective advice or insight. They can help the caregiver to focus on interests outside of his/her role as caregiver. They provide comfort during difficult times. They can even run errands for the caregiver in a pinch.

In general, maintaining social contacts gives the caregiver a buffer from day to day challenges and stresses of caregiving. In some cases, friends can be used to air frustrations, concerns or fears. They can be there to vent anger or simply to help the caregiver to relax and have fun for awhile.

Sharing with friends enables the caregiver to come back to their loved ones in a way that helps them better to nurture and help the family member in need.

Information and support for families can be found at the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

Family-to-Family Week 9

Note: One of our current Family-to-Family participants is writing a weekly series about her experience in NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 12-week class. This is her ninth post.

Throughout the Family-to-Family course, we've been learning about our loved one's mental illness, and how to help them through communication, understanding and advocating for them. All of these tools will serve everyone involved in our loved one's care; but, as family members who provide support in so many ways, we need to make sure that our feelings and needs are not being ignored or suppressed by our focus on our loved one's care. If we don't make room in our lives for the expression of our own feelings and we don't set boundaries, we can become burned out.

An analogy to the importance of caregivers and family members paying attention to their own needs was brought up in class and is one that travelers have often heard as part of the pre-flight safety instructions: "If you are traveling with a child, kindly secure your oxygen mask before securing theirs." The reason for this is that if you don't help yourself first, you won't be able to help the child.

Having a loved one with mental illness can be a burden, but often we take the stoic route and pretend as if our feelings and needs don't matter as much as our loved ones. They do. In class we discussed what some of the typical burdens are. We discussed our own feelings and the specific burdens we encounter as a result of a family member's mental illness. And, we learned ways to make these burdens lighter by taking positive actions to balance out the heavy responsibilities that we shoulder. Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to let go of the guilt, pay attention to your social life and your health, and do things that make you feel good. It seems simple, but the payoff is enormous.

For more information, visit the Family-to-Family section of the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

Step #3 Of Leading A Balanced Life

Self-care for the caregiver is essential. According to NAMI's Family-to-Family education program, there are seven principles for a caregiver to lead a balanced life. The first principle and second principle were discussed in previous posts.

The third principle is: Watch Your Stress Level.

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. We know that it can wreak havoc on our bodies and our lives.

A key component to managing stress is to learn your own personal warning signs that you are becoming stressed.

All of us handle stress differently. While one person's warning sign might be snapping at a family member or co-worker, another person's might be sleeplessness or a physical reaction like an aching neck.

It's important to identify your personal "red flags" so that you can address the stress before it reaches a point of overwhelm.

Once you've identified an early sign that you are stressed, it's time to take a step back and slow down. Don't underestimate the importance of acknowledging that you are stressed, taking deep breaths and taking a step back (in whatever way you can) from the situation.

From there, each of us must determine what helps during times of stress. There is no one answer for everyone. For some people, going for a walk or run helps tremendously. For others, baking, bathing, writing or listening to music might help. Some people want to be alone while others feel the need to vent to a friend or therapist.

Each of us is unique, and self-knowledge is critical when it comes to watching stress levels. Know your signs. Know when to take a step back. And know what things you can do that help relieve your stress.

Helping yourself is one of the best things you can do for your loved one.

Family-to-Family Week 8

Note: One of our current Family-to-Family participants is writing a weekly series about her experience in NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 12-week class. This is her eighth post.

While learning about mental illness is vital, learning how to communicate and work with loved ones can make a huge difference in a family member or caregiver's ability to cope from day-to-day.

This week's Family-to-Family class focused on communication skills. When someone with a mental illness is symptomatic, their cognitive overload can make communicating with them extremely difficult. Additionally, the stress of caring for someone who is suffering from a mental illness can impair normal communication skills. In order to overcome these barriers, it is helpful to first understand why our loved ones have trouble hearing us, and secondly to employ communication skills that respectfully set boundaries and convey empathy.

First we performed an exercise to help us understand what it may be like for a person with an active mental illness to listen to and make sense of what they're hearing. The exercise underscored the difficulties many people have in filtering out external distractions and sometimes even the thoughts in their own head when trying to focus on one voice or task.

We then learned and practiced two communication skills: "I statements" which directly communicated thoughts, needs and feelings in a way that does not put the other person on the defensive; and "Reflective Responses" to demonstrate that you hear what the other person is saying and that you understand why they might feel the way they do. This type of response validates the other person's feelings and enables you to connect and empathize with them.

Certainly it will take practice, and as we discussed in class, some planning to implement these strategies in the real world, but with patience and understanding, hope is that they will help break through some of the communication barriers in our relationships with our loved ones.

For more information, visit the Family-to-Family section of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website.

Family-to-Family Week 7

Note: One of our current Family-to-Family participants is writing a weekly series about her experience with NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 12-week education program. This is her seventh post.

"Empathy is: The intimate comprehension of another person's thoughts and feelings, without imposing our own judgment or expectations."

It can also be thought of as "putting oneself in another's shoes." But, how can you do that when you have never actually, and most likely could not possibly ever fully experience what your loved one with mental illness is experiencing as the life they know is taken away from them?

In class we listened to several scenarios that challenged us to imagine how someone with mental illness might be feeling. For instance, imagine that your mind, the origin of your personality, is lost, or altered in some way so that it no longer feels right to you. People have started treating you differently, giving you wary looks that you can't understand, getting impatient when you can't remember something, or telling you that what you're experiencing isn't real. How would you feel, and how would you act in this situation? Would you be afraid - so afraid that you would start to withdraw from others? Or would you pretend like it wasn't happening, just keep pushing the growing terror down and lashing out at those who were trying to help you? And, after you realize that this situation, this altered state of being is the new status quo, would you feel like giving up? Would you keep trying to make it back to your old life even though it seems that every one step forward runs the risk of dragging you two steps back?

By understanding how these inner feelings affect behaviors, we gained a better understanding of the emotions fueling the actions of our loved ones with mental illness. And, by understanding the stages of emotional response, we learned to accept that there is a path that they need to follow (albeit a path beset with obstacles, switchbacks and meanderings).

In essence, by having empathy for our loved ones, we are acknowledging them as individuals rather than illnesses or diagnoses or dependents. We are recognizing and attesting to a part of them--their inner selves--that they have been desperately guarding for fear it would be taken from them by their illness. And in doing this, we are fostering the self-esteem that is essential to their recovery.

For more information, visit the Family-to-Family section of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website.

Step #2 Of Leading A Balanced Life

NAMI's signature family education program Family-to-Family is a multi-faceted 12-week course for families who have a loved one diagnosed with a mental illness. Self-care for the caregiver is one of many focuses. There are seven principles for a caregiver to lead a balanced life. Last week we discussed the first principle.

The second principle is: Strive for good physical health.

Of course, everyone should strive for good physical health, but it is especially important for the caregiver. Growing bodies of evidence show that a family member providing care to a loved one with a chronic or disabling condition is also at risk. Physical health problems can arise from complex caregiving situations.

There are many ways to sustain one's physical health. Even following the most basic rules for good physical health can make a huge difference in a caregiver's overall well being.

Nourish your body with healthy food and drinks. Eating well most of the time is key to optimal health and energy when caring for another. There are a wealth of resources on the Internet and books/magazines available to educate yourself on healthy eating. Also check with your health insurance plan to see if it covers or offers nutrition counseling.

Exercise or use your body. Some people think exercise will wear them out, but it actually gives you energy! While you should check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, simply adding extra activities to your day, such as taking the stairs, helps to use your body as it was intended.

Visit your doctor regularly. Don't skip annual exams. Talk openly to your doctor about any physical and mental health concerns. Advocate for your own health the way you do for your loved one.

Try deep breathing. This is something anyone can do, anytime. Again, there is a wealth of information available on deep breathing exercises, and more and more experts are encouraging this practice for good physical health.

As a caregiver, it is imperative to your loved one that you take care of YOU.

For more information on support for family members, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

Family-to-Family Week 6

Note: One of our current Family-to-family participants is writing a weekly series about her experience with NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 12-week education class. This is her sixth post.

Medications can be a very frustrating aspect of treatment for mental illness, both for the consumer and caregivers. What works well for one person with depression, may not work at all for another; or the medications that keep a person functional during the day, may also keep them up all night. Often one medication's side effects must be treated with another medication.

Many people in our Family-to-Family group had experienced the frustration of having their loved one's diagnosis -- and subsequently their medication -- changed time and time again, leaving them to wonder if the professionals they trusted to give them answers were doing anything more than guessing.

It's hard to ask a doctor about these seeming inconsistencies, especially as they sometimes take affront to any suggestion that their professional opinion is being questioned. So it was extremely refreshing and enlightening to have a physician come to our class and talk openly about the the problems of diagnosis, pharmaceutical treatments, and side effects; and, to frankly address how mainstream medicine creates a mirage of seemingly inviolate truths when, in fact, science is challenging and changing what we know about mental illness every day.

One of the most impactful revelations, to me, was the "Bible" of mental illness, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in its next revision (version 4 is used currently) will be more focused on categorical diagnoses as opposed to the dimensional mechanisms that are currently employed. This change will make diagnosis more fluid, with considerations for co-occurring disorders and the overlap between diagnoses of many symptoms. Diagnosis, and treatment plans, will then target symptoms rather than attempt to force all the varied and numerous expressions of mental illness neatly into blanket categories.

Next Week, we'll learn about empathy -- a gift we can all give and, gratefully, use.

For more information, visit the Family-to-Family section of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website.