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Learn more about NAMI Basics by watching this video ...

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 youth with mental health disorders.

What does the course include?

• 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
• 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
• Specific workshops to learn problem solving, listening and communication skills
• Examples of strategies that have been found helpful in handling challenging behaviors in children and adolescents
• Information about the systems that are major players in the lives of children and adolescents with mental illness – the school system and the mental health system
• Exposure to personal record keeping systems that have proven to be effective for parents/caregivers in their interactions with the school and healthcare systems
• Information on planning for crisis management and relapse
• Information on locating appropriate supports and services within the community to build a community of support for the parent/caregiver
• Information on advocacy initiatives designed to improve and expand services, with an emphasis on personal advocates for the parent/caregiver and child on an individual level

NAMI Smarts is an educational program designed to give you the resorces to translate your passion about wellness and recovery into systems-level, policy driven action. NAMI Smarts attendees learn to:

• Tell their mental health "stories" in a way that is impactful, succinct and engaging
• Develop skills for meeting with public policy makers and other key stakeholders to inform and educate about the need for policy change
• Use these tools to further advocate for systems change

Learn more about how the NAMI grassroots can advocate for public policy by watching the video here ...

In Our Own Voice (IOOV) is a unique public education program developed by NAMI, in which two trained consumer speakers share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery.

IOOV is an opportunity for those who have struggled with mental illness to gain confidence and to share their individual experiences of recovery and transformation.

Throughout the IOOV presentation, audience members are encouraged to offer feedback and ask questions. Audience participation is an important aspect of IOOV because the more audience members become involved, the closer they come to understanding what it is like to live with a mental illness and stay in recovery.

IOOV presentations are given to consumer groups, students, law enforcement officials, educators, providers, faith community members, politicians, professionals, inmates, and interested civic groups.

All presentations are offered free of charge.

Learn more about In Our Own Voice by watching the video here ...

• The course was written by Kathryn Cohan McNulty, a person with a psychiatric disability who is also a former provider and manager in the mental health field and a longtime mutual support group member and facilitator.
  

• Peer-to-Peer consists of ten two-hour units and is taught by a team of two trained “Mentors” and a volunteer support person who are personally experienced at living well with mental illness.
  
• Mentors are trained in an intensive three day training session and are supplied with teaching manuals.
  
• Participants come away from the course with a binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources: an advance directive; a “relapse prevention plan” to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior, or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention; mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking; and survival skills for working with providers and the general public.

You can find our more about Peer to Peer by watching the outreach video here ...

NAMI Yakima hosts a variety of free community education events each year. Check back here or contact the NAMI Yakima office for current schedules. In addition, if you'd like a speaker for a community event, contact our office anytime. We're happy to help!

NAMI Yakima Resource Library

NAMI Yakima maintains a wide selection of books, videos, dvds, brochures and other resources. All are welcome and encouraged to visit our offices at 402 South 4th Avenue to check out library materials.

Current Inventory and e-Based Borrow requests coming soon!