Free Class for Families of Mentally Ill

Offered at St. James AME Church

NAMI Family-to-Family, a free class for relatives and friends of individuals diagnosed with a severe mental illness, will be offered from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on 12 consecutive Mondays beginning August 25 at St. James AME Church in Asheville.

The Family-to-Family class will also be given for the first time in Mars Hill on Thursdays, August 28 through November 13, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Sponsored by NAMI Western Carolina, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the course provides up-to-date facts about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, and co-occurring addictions.

Trained family members teach the course that balances education with
self-care, emotional support, and empowerment. A clinical psychologist
with an ill family member developed the curriculum which has been
presented to more than 100,000 people nation-wide.

The NAMI Family-to-Family course also covers:
•    Coping skills, handling a crisis and relapse;
•    Listening and communication techniques;
•    Problem solving, setting limits, rehabilitation;
•    Understanding the experience of being mentally ill;
•    Community services and resources;
•    Advocacy, fighting discrimination and stigma.

Since the class size is limited, early registration is required.
To register for the Asheville class call (828) 258-5359 and for the
Mars Hill class please call (828) 505-0438.