What NAMI Louisville does

NAMI Louisville offers support groups and educational programs to Louisville's mentally ill and their families. See our calendar or newsletters for a schedule of support groups and locations.

NAMI Louisville's current educational programs include:

The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses. The course is taught by trained family members. All instruction and course materials are free to class participants. Over 115,000 family members have graduated from this national program. Our 2010 courses have started. Please call the office at 502-245-5287 to reserve a seat for you.

IN=n 2009, NAMI Louisville partnered with the Veterans Administration to offer Family-to-Family courses to military and veterans' families and hopes to do so again.

The NAMI Louisville Social Club coordinates monthly events for persons with mental illness and their families. Come out to the Social Club events for food, fun and friendship. To RSVP for Social Club events, call the NAMI Louisville office at (502) 245-5287 or contact us through this site.

NAMI Louisville also raises awareness about issues affecting Louisville's mental illness community. We do this via our annual Walk for Recovery; outreach to consumers, their families and healthcare providers; and by issuing statements and press releases to Louisville's media regarding mental health.

NAMI Lousiville also partners with other advocacy agencies to promote special events to raise mental health awareness, including Mental Illness Awareness Week, the Spirit of Peace program, and other special events throughout the year.

NAMI Louisville is also planning new programs and initiatives for 2010 and beyond, including:

NAMI Basics is the new signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The program was developed around elements that have been extensively tested and found to be highly effective in the field, including:

Recognition of mental illness as a continuing traumatic event for the child and the family;

Sensitivity to the subjective emotional issues faced by family caregivers and well children in the family;

Recognition of the need to help ameliorate the day-to-day objective burdens of care and management;

Gaining confidence and stamina for what can be a lifelong role of family understanding and support; and

Empowerment of family caregivers as effective advocates for their children.

The NAMI Basics course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years. All instruction and course materials are free to class participants.

NAMI Louisville is training instructors to begin offering NAMI's educational programs and support groups in Spanish.

NAMI Kentucky also offers several programs in Louisville and throughout Kentucky.