NAMI Basics

Supporting parents and caregivers to comfort young family members in need of mental health care

Who?

We encourage parents and caregivers of children and adolescents diagnosed with mental health conditions to participate in our NAMI Basics course. This course is designed to help parents navigate the systems that support children and youth diagnosed with mental and behavioral health problems. The course is led by two (2) trained teachers who follow an evidence-based curriculum and who have lived-experience in communicating with healthcare professionals, school staff and extended family members while facing the symptoms related to various mental health diagnoses.

How?

ONLINE NAMI Basics Courses

NAMI Greater Houston offers the course in English and Spanish.

Due to the pandemic, all of our classes are hosted through Zoom online. Once you register, your teacher will contact you with the link to join the class. Classes usually engage 10-15 parents with 2 certified teachers. You can join any class listed that fits your schedule.

Complete the registration form here.

If you would like to become an education teacher, please complete our Leader Training Interest Form here.

What to Expect (at In-Person courses)?

NAMI Basics is the new signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The NAMI Basics course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who show signs and symptoms of mental illness between the ages of 0-18. The course consists of six classes, each lasting for 2 ½ hours.

The course includes:

Classes are offered weekly for six consecutive weeks or may be offered twice per week for three weeks to accommodate the hectic schedules of parents
All instruction materials are FREE to participants
Introduction to the stages of emotional reactions of the family to the mental illness; including crisis, shock, denial, grief and acceptance
Insights into understanding of the lived experience of the child living with the mental illness, including learning to separate the child you love from the illness that alters their behavior and abilities
Specific workshops to learn problem-solving, listening, and communication skills

Current information about Attention Deficit Disorder, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Childhood Schizophrenia, and Substance Abuse Disorders
Current research related to the biology of mental illness and the evidence-based, most effective treatment strategies available, including medications used to treat mental illness in children and adolescents
Examples of strategies that have been found helpful in handling challenging behaviors in children and adolescents

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