All NAMI Classes are free! For more information, contact our office at: (901) 725-0305.


An 8-session course for family, friends, and loved ones of individuals affected with mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, co-occurring disorders, and others. Provided free, the NAMI Family-to-Family program becomes a circle of support of individuals learning together how to help each other deal more effectively with the impact and effect of mental health conditions. These hands-on workshops cover understanding the normative stages of emotional reactions to the trauma of mental illness; characteristic features of psychotic illnesses; the relationship between substance abuse and mental health conditions; basics about the brain; creative problem-solving skills; detailed information about medications; communication skills that really work; coping skills for more stable periods; self-care; and the vision and potential of recovery.The program is provided free through the volunteer efforts and dedication of other family members and friends who have also personally experienced the impact of a mental health condition in the life of a family member or loved one.

Based on the With Hope ln Mind program, Beginnings/NAMI Basics provides a wealth of information for primary care providers of a child or adolescent with mental illness.

Many primary caregivers are parents, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, respite care provider and foster parents attend Beginnings/NAMI Basics classes, too. The classes offer a safe, supportive place to share experiences and learn valuable lessons from other adults who care for children with mental disorders.

ln Beginnings/NAMI Basics classes, students learn about brain biology and specific brain disorders such as:

  • Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Conduct Disorder
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Depressive Disorder
  • Eating Disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Panic
  • Schizophrenia
  • Post- Traumatic Stress and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Additionally, students learn these essential coping skills:

  • Communication
  • Coping and Self-Care
  • Problem Management
  • Advocacy and Stigma
  • Organization and Record-Keeping

Beginnings/NAMI Basics is a free, 8-session course taught by NAMI-trained people who are also primary care providers for a young person with mental illness.


NAMI Ending the Silence is an engaging presentation that helps audiences learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what to do if you or a loved one show symptoms. In presentations, a lead presenter shares an informative presentation and a young adult with a mental health condition shares their journey of recovery. Audience members can ask questions and gain understanding of an often-misunderstood topic. Through dialogue, we can help grow the movement to end stigma.

There are three (3) options for presentations, which are free of cost to schools and communities:

  • NAMI Ending the Silence for Students: 50-minute presentation designed for middle and high school students that includes:
    • Information about warning signs
    • Facts and statistics
    • How to get help for themselves or a third friend.
    Research has shown that this program changes middle and high school student’s knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions and toward seeking help.
  • NAMI Ending the Silence for School Staff: 1 hour presentation for school staff that includes:
    • Information about warning signs
    • Facts and statistics
    • How to approach students and how to work with families.
  • NAMI Ending the Silence for Families: 1-hour presentation for parents and primary caregivers that include:
    • Information about warning signs
    • Facts and statistics
    • How to talk with your child and how to work with school staff.

BRIDGES – For persons with a diagnosis of major mental illness. BRIDGES (Building Recovery of individual Dreams and Goals through Education and Support) provide education and support to mental health consumers. The world of mental disorders is difficult and confusing, especially for those directly experiencing illness. BRIDGES is designed to assist you, or someone you love, on the journey back to a sense of self and purpose. BRIDGES provides hope, information and coping skills. Consumers trained in the BRIDGES method share common experiences and offer tools to help others build personal bridges to recovery. The Bridges classes are free and available to everyone who has a diagnosis of mental illness. Many BRIDGES courses are taught in peer support centers across the state. One consumer described Bridges this way: “We learn that we are not alone. Our experiences, when shared, can be a foundation for recovery.”


For loved ones (over age 18) of Service Members/Veterans living with mental illness. Taught by trained family members of Service Members/Veterans with mental illness, NAMI Homefront provides critical strategies related to caregiving. Incorporates presentations, discussion and exercises. NAMI Homefront is adapted from the NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program and has been offered in VA clinics and hospitals throughout the U.S. since the late 1990’s.

Support Groups will follow each 6-8 week class.

BRIDGES
10-week Class for persons with mental health diagnosis.

FAMILY TO FAMILY
12-week Class for family, friends and loved ones of persons with a mental health diagnosis.

NAMI HOMEFRONT
6 Sessions, 2.5 hours each, free of cost.

*For more information on any of our classes, please call us at
(901) 725-0305.