The Family-to-Family Education Program for people who have a loved one with mental illness will start October 2 in Kent. The free course will run every Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, 155 E. Main St., Kent.
The program is sponsored by the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County and NAMI Portage County. A nationally-based curriculum, the course is open to anyone who has a family member or a friend with a brain disease, including schizophrenia, manic depression, clinical depression, an anxiety disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Family-to-Family provides participants with education about the biology of the brain and the major mental illnesses.
It is taught by local residents who have a family member who has a mental illness. There will also be information shared about treatments, rehabilitation services, problem-solving, communication and advocacy. The registration deadline is September 26. Call the Mental Health & Recovery Board at 330-673-1756, ext 201. You can also register at laurab@mental-health-recovery.org. More information is available at www.nami.org.