The Parent Advocacy Connection (PAC) program has been helping families navigate through crisis situations and equipping caregivers to advocate for their children since 2004.

The PAC program pairs families with trained Parent Peer Supporters who have extensive training, supervision and lived experience. They support families through multiple systems - juvenile justice, social services, education, mental health, and developmental disabilities.

The PAC Richland County Coordinator can help you by:

  • Attending meetings with families, such as: school, court hearings, case reviews, individual one-on-one meeting with the parent and all team meetings

  • By listening to families talk about what they need

  • By encouraging parent’s natural ability to speak up for this children

  • By being there for parents so that they do not feel alone when facing difficult times with their children

Contact Carla James, the Richland County Coordinator, at 419-573-9895 or cjames.pac@gmail.com

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Family-to-Family: An education program for family members and friends of adults who live with mental illness

If you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with serious mental illness - you are not alone. 1 in 25 Americans live with a seriously debilitating mental health diagnosis.

If you are a family member, we have a program for you. The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is an 8-week course for families of individuals with severe and debilitating mental illness. The course discusses the clinical treatment of mental illness and teaches the knowledge and skills that family members need to cope more effectively. This course topics covers an overview of mental health diagnoses, problem solving, medication review, communication, self-care, rehabilitation, the biology of the brain, and advocacy. The class answers questions such as "What do I do if there is a crisis"? "What are all of these medications for?" and "What are the best treatments now available for my relative?" The classes are confidential and are help twice a year.

You will learn from people like you who get it, who have been there. Trained peers guide you to know how to better understand and support your loved one while maintaining your own and your family's well being.

Email us if interested or to learn more!

 
 
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NAMI Family & Friends

NAMI Family & Friends is a free 90-minute or four-hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. It’s also an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support.

What You’ll Learn

The seminar is led by trained people with lived experience of supporting a family member with a mental health condition. They will walk you through the following topics.

  • Understanding diagnoses, treatment and recovery

  • Effective communication strategies

  • The importance of self-care

  • Crisis preparation strategies

  • NAMI and community resources

What People are Saying

“Hearing personal experiences and how relatable my experiences are to them was very helpful. Hearing specific strategies to communicate and specific traits that people with mental illness have. Know that the illness is what can cause “cruelty” and poor decisions rather than the person.”

“I have a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the person affected…it was nice to hear the stories of the instructors and their paths. The handbook (eBook) given has a lot of helpful information which I did not know about.”

Interested in this program?

We provide this program every several months. If you are interested in having this program at your facility or at a specific location please give us a call @ 419-522-6264.