NAMI Charleston Area - Education
 

Educational opportunities offered by NAMI Charleston Area

NAMI offers an array of peer education and training programs and services for consumers, family members, providers, and the general public. NAMI's education and support programs provide relevant information, valuable insight, and the opportunity to engage in support networks.

These programs draw on the lived experience of mental health consumers and family members who have learned to live well with their illnesses and have been extensively trained to help others, as well as the expertise of mental health professionals and educators.

Whether you are a consumer, a family member, a provider, or a member of the general public, there is a NAMI education or support program to help you learn more about mental illnesses, develop coping strategies, or find the support you need.

 Many people with brain disorders say that once they are stabilized and have learned to manage their symptoms, their biggest problem is that other people shun them – in the workplace, at school, in the world at large. Therefore, educating the public about what brain disorders are – and are not – has become a top priority.

 Family to Family
The Family to Family education course consists of a series of ten FREE workshops for families of individuals who have severe and persistent mental illnesses. The course teachers are family members themselves and the course has been designed and written by an experienced family member mental health professional. The program balances basic education about the disorders along with skill training, self care, emotional support and empowerment.  Offered in the summer and fall. Pre-registration is necessary.

 Provider Education
Provider Education is a ten week FREE course in mental illness education to promote provider/family/consumer (individuals who suffer from a mental illness) collaboration skills for staff at Public Mental Health Agencies. This course becomes the vehicle for helping providers gain empathy and introduce them to a clinical perspective which families and consumers find most helpful.

 NAMI C.A.R.E. (Consumers Advocating Recovery through Empowerment)
NAMI C.A.R.E.is a support group for individuals facing the challenges of recovering from severe and persistent mental illness. Depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorder are only a few of the diagnoses of individuals who have found a supportive place within NAMI C.A.R.E. Offered monthly at support group meetings.

Peer-to-Peer
Peer-to-Peer is a nine week course on the topic of recovery for any person interested in establishing or maintaining wellness. Classes meet for two hours per week and are focused on a variety of topics. Peer-to-Peer promotes the idea that recovery is possible, and it provides some essential  tools for growth along the recovery path. This is a FREE nine week workshop for consumers. Pre-registration is necessary.