We’re excited to announce that we will begin offering the NAMI Homefront class for our community in November!
NAMI Homefront is a free, six-session program for family, friends, and significant others of military service members and veterans. The class helps families understand what the service member/veteran is experiencing related to trauma, combat stress, civilian life transition, PTSD and other mental health conditions. The program is designed to help family members understand and support their service member/veteran while maintaining their own well-being.
We know that family support is a critical component in the treatment and recovery of those living with mental health conditions. When we learn more about what our loved ones are experiencing, we become better equipped to help them. Homefront is adapted from NAMI’s Family-to-Family program and addresses the specific challenges and struggles faced by those who have served or are currently serving our country. The program helps families understand what the service member/veteran is experiencing related to trauma, combat stress, civilian life transition, PTSD and other mental health conditions. Attendees learn about current treatments, evidence-based therapies, and research on common mental health conditions that impact military service members and veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression and substance use. They also learn how to manage stress; solve problems; communicate effectively; navigate the challenges and impact of mental health conditions on the entire family; and manage a crisis. A study on the program saw improvements in empowerment, coping, psychological distress, family functioning, experience of caregiving, and knowledge of mental illness for both in-person as well as online participants.
NAMI Homefront teaches loved ones how to:
- Learn to care for yourself, including managing your stress
- Support your family member with compassion
- Identify and access federal, state and local services
- Stay informed on the latest research and information on mental health –including posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression and substance use
- Understand current treatments and evidence-based therapies
- Navigate the challenges and impact of mental health conditions on the entire family
- Manage a crisis, solve problems and communicate effectively
What Homefront participants have said about the program:
“This training has been really helpful for me to process much of my own emotions. I am at a point now that being able to stop and look back at exactly how far we’ve come and being reminded of the painful past but positive changes was very empowering. Sometimes when we get stuck in the routine of moving on we lose sight of how far we’ve come.”
“I realized I saw signs and symptoms of PTSD but did not know how to handle my loved one — I know better how to handle situations.”
“You realize that he will never be the same having been through war. I learned how to treat him more as an adult than as a hurt child.”
“We are still friends with everyone that was in the class. There’s always and open ear and an open heart and a shoulder to cry on if you need it.”
The class sessions will be on Tuesdays via Zoom, starting Tuesday, November 2 and running through December 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm PT each evening. (Attendees are expected to attend all six sessions.)