NAMI Basics Course Welcomes Eligible Parents
NAMI Basics Course Welcomes Eligible Parents
FAIRFIELD â Are you a parent of a child or adolescent who has been diagnosed or shows signs of attention deficit disorder, major depression, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, childhood schizophrenia or substance abuse disorders?
Could you use some help with problem solving skills, listening skills, and communication skills? Would your life benefit from information about the systems that are major players in the lives of children and adolescents with mental illness, namely the school system and the mental health system?
Would you like to know how to locate appropriate supports and services within the community to build a community of support for yourself and your family?
If these are issues that concern you, then you could benefit from NAMI Basics.
NAMI Basics, a free, six-week class for parents or guardians of children/teens living with emotional disorders or mental illness, is starting on Monday, March 1, from 7 to 9:30 pm. NAMI Basics is taught by trained instructors who are the parent or caregiver of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years.
Its goals are to give parents/caregivers the basic information necessary to take the best care possible of their child, their family, and themselves; to help the parent/caregiver cope with the impact that mental illness has on the child living with the illness and the entire family; to provide tools for the parent/caregiver to use even after completing the program that will assist in making the best decisions possible for the care of the child.
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Its goals are to support those living with mental illness and their loved ones, to provide educational programs to the community that foster understanding and healthy living, and to provide advocacy.
The class will meet at First Church Congregational, 148 Beach Road. Registration is required; call 203-259-9779. More information about NAMI Basics can be found at nami.org.