11
Sep
2017
DAVENPORT, Iowa (September 7, 2017) – NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley (NAMI GMV) is introducing an education class designed to meet the unique needs of Military and Veteran Service Member Families who support a loved one diagnosed with a mental health condition, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury. NAMI Homefront is an adaptation of NAMI’s Family-to-Family program, which has been offered to hundreds of thousands of people. Through a national Memorandum of Understanding with the Veterans Administration (VA), NAMI GMV is actively working with the VA in Iowa City and Quad Cities to promote the inaugural class.
NAMI Homefront is offered free to adult family and friends who support an active-duty or veteran loved one with a mental health condition. The class will be held six Wednesdays evenings from October 4 to November 8 on the campus of Western Illinois University-Quad Cities. Registration is required. Please contact NAMI GMV by September 29 at 563-386-7477, ext. 266.
According to RAND Corporation research, post 9/11 military caregivers’ profiles are unique from older generations. They are likely to be a spouse or friend of a person living with condition, and are facing the financial and emotional stress of juggling both work and caregiving. Pre-9/11 caregivers tend to be more traditional, as they are “typically older adults caring for an aging parent or a spouse caring for an aging partner.”
According to RAND, caregivers supporting persons with behavioral conditions are more likely to experience depression.
“This class teaches family and friends how to cope, take care of themselves, and become a more effective advocate for their loved one,” says Lloyd Kilmer, PhD, NAMI Homefront instructor. “As a family member who has supported a loved one living with PTSD, I’m volunteer teaching to help others get the tools they need to be empowered.” NAMI Homefront is a nationally-developed course written by mental health professionals who are also family members.
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About NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley
One in five people experience a mental health disorder in any given year. This grassroots organization is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, providing free education and support programs to individuals with mental health conditions and their families. NAMI GMV fills an otherwise unmet information gap in our community, serving residents in Muscatine, Clinton, Scott Counties in Iowa and Mercer, Henry, Rock Island Counties in Illinois. Learn more at www.namigmv.org.
