AGAWAM – The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Western Massachusetts (NAMI-WM) is offering its six-week NAMI Basics education course in Spanish for parents and caregivers of children and teens with mental illness and emotional and behavioral difficulties.
The course – March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Holyoke – and all materials are free.
NAMI Basics is taught by trained teachers who are parents or caregivers of children and teens who developed emotional and behavioral difficulties prior to the age of 13.
The two and a half hour classes are offered once a week for six weeks or twice a week for three weeks.
“The NAMI Basics class is a critical form of education and support for those caring for children affected by mental illness and behavioral challenges,” said Basics teacher María Gerena, who will be leading the Holyoke course. “NAMI Basics provides an important road map to guide them during difficult times.”
The course gives parents and caregivers the information necessary to take the best care possible of their child as well as the rest of their family and themselves. Coping skills help alleviate the impact that emotional and behavioral difficulties have on the entire family.
NAMI Basics helps parents and other family caregivers of children to understand the conditions that are causing these behavioral difficulties and the critical role families play in the treatment of those conditions. NAMI Basics provides tools for the parent and family caregiver to use even after completing the program that will assist them in making the best decisions possible for the care of the child.
Located in Agawam, NAMI-WM is an affiliate of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
NAMI-WM volunteer members and leaders work tirelessly to raise awareness and provide essential education, advocacy and support group programs for all those affected by mental illness.