NAMI Basics Education Program The fundamentals of caring for you, your family and your child with mental illness Companion Power Point Presentation Summer.

NAMI Basics Education Program

The fundamentals of caring for you, your family and your child with mental illness

Companion Power Point PresentationSummer 2008

Class 1 Agenda

• Welcome• Introductions to NAMI• Introduction to Teachers• Introduction to the NAMI

Basics program• Participant Introductions• Welcome to Holland• This is the illness your

family has to live with• Adjourn

Predictable Stages of Emotional Reactions

Class 1: Chart 2

Stage 1: Dealing with the Catastrophic Event

Stage 2: Learning to Cope: “going through the mill”

Stage 3: Moving into Advocacy: “CHARGE”

Catastrophic StressorsClass 1: Chart 1

• An unanticipated event

• No time to prepare for it

• No previous experience about how to handle it

• Has a high emotional impact

• Involves threat or danger to self or others

Class 2 Agenda

• Human Development• The Biology of Mental

Illness• Getting an Accurate

Diagnosis• Overview of some of the

illnesses• Adjourn

Brain CellClass 2: Handout # 3

The Human BrainClass 2: Handout # 4

The Limbic SystemClass 2: Handout # 5

Class 3 Agenda

• Telling Your Stories

• Treatment Options Available

• The Medication Dilemma

• Adjourn

Telling Our StoriesClass 3: Chart 1

• Child’s name and age• Child’s diagnosis/diagnoses• How old was the child when

symptoms began?• What were the symptoms?• How is the child doing now?

In school? At home?• How are YOU right now?

Where are you on the Stages chart?

Class 3 Handout # 7 Two neurons in synaptic

contact

Class 4 Agenda

• Objective and Subjective Family Burden

• Communication Skills• Problem Solving Skills• Tips for Handling Difficult

Behavior in Children• Crisis Preparation and

Responses• Adjourn

Collaborative Problem SolvingPlan B

Class 4: Chart 1

1. Empathy (plus reassurance)

2. Define the problem

3. Invitation

Class 5 Agenda

• Record Keeping• Overview of the Mental

Health System• Overview of School

System’s role• Overview of Juvenile

Justice system• Introduction to Transition

Issues• Adjourn

Class 6 Agenda

• Presentation by local experts

• Review of items identified as most pressing from Class 1

• Self-Care• Referral to ‘Graduate

School’• Course Evaluation• Diplomas• Adjourn