NAMI offers peer support class on mental illness

NAMI office in Bowling Green.

(Submitted by National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Peer support is crucial to people living with mental illness. That’s why NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Wood County offers its Peer-to-Peer course regularly. The free ten-week course allows those recovering from mental illness to share struggles and insights with each other while learning about their conditions and available treatments.

NAMI Wood County wants to set up another Peer-to-Peer class this spring or summer, if enough local people express interest. To learn more about this free course, anyone interested can call the organization at 419-352-0626 or go online at info@namiwoodcounty.org.

Trained instructors with personal experience of mental illness facilitate the course. During the ten weeks participants hear the latest research on brain biology, learn the symptoms of and treatments for various mental illnesses, and get tips on navigating the mental health system. They also develop a personalized relapse prevention plan and take home a toolkit of useful information. Thirty-four people in Wood County have completed Peer-to-Peer.

Since 1987, NAMI Wood County has provided support, education, and advocacy for families in Wood County. It is one of over 1,200 NAMI affiliates in the United States.