|
NAMI
MESA Education Program
The MESA Course consists of a series of twelve
classes for the families of persons 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 mental health professional. The course balances
education and skill-training with self-care, emotional support
and empowerment.
Course content:
-
Information
about Schizophrenia, Major Depression, Bipolar Illness,
Borderline Personality Disorder, Panic Disorder,
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and co-occurring
Brain Disorders and Addictive Disorders.
-
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 how to recognize normal emotional
reactions among families to chronic worry and stress.
-
Basic
information about medications and their side effects.
-
Information
about connecting with appropriate community services and
community supports. Advocacy: Getting better services,
fighting discrimination.
|
Who Should Attend:
The NAMI MESA Education Program is designed for
the families of persons who have been diagnosed with serious
and persistent mental illness, as well as those who exhibit
behavior that strongly suggests such a diagnosis. The course
is not appropriate for individuals who are themselves
suffering from one of these mental illnesses. The course is
suitable for relatives of adult individuals diagnosed with
Schizophrenia, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline
Personality Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder (OCD), and co-occurring Brain Disorders and Addictive
Disorders. Families of teenagers diagnosed as "seriously
emotionally disturbed" may also wish to take the course,
particularly if their teenage child has been diagnosed with
one of the illnesses above. The course does not cover the
specific childhood disorders of autism, childhood
schizophrenia or ADHD. Nor does it deal with alcoholism,
post-traumatic stress disorder, criminal behavior, or
physical/sexual abuse in the family.
Course Details:
Classes run
for 12 weeks and last 2 hours.
Class size will vary from 10 to 20 family members. The NAMI
MESA Education Program is free. It is sponsored by
NAMI as a community service for families in the area.
Contact: Carolyn Wood @ 385-0802
Next Class begins: August 5th, 2009.
|
