• Peer-to-Peeris a unique, experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery. The course is being written by Kathryn Cohan, 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. An advisory board comprised of consumer members of NAMI, in consultation with Joyce Burland, Ph.D., author of the successful NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program, is guiding the curriculum’s development.

Peer-to-Peer consists of nine, two-hour units and is taught by a team of three trained "mentors" who are personally experienced at living well with mental illness.

Mentors are trained in weekend-long training sessions, supplied with teaching manuals and are paid a stipend for each course they teach.

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.

Class Topic List:

Each class contains a combination of lecture and interactive exercise material and closes with Mindfulness Practice (techniques offered to develop and expand awareness). Each class builds on the one before: attendance each week, therefore, is required.

• Week One
  Introductions, Stigma, Discrimination, Begin Relapse Prevention Planning

   

• Week Two
  Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Depression Thoughts, Feelings, Sleep, Continue Relapse Prevention Planning

   

• Week Three
  Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Senses, Behavior, Continue Relapse Prevention Planning

   

• Week Four
  Story Telling

   

• Week Five
  Language, Emotions, Continue Relapse Prevention Planning

   

• Week Six
  Addictions, Spirituality, Medication, Complete Relapse Prevention Plans

   

• Week Seven
  Coping Strategies, Decision Making

   

• Week Eight
  Relationships, Begin Advance Directive

   

• Week Nine
• Empowerment, Advocacy, "Complete" Advance Directive Evaluation

NAMI-NYS Affiliates Offering the Family-to-Family Program

New York State Counties

Essex : NAMI Champlain Valley 518-561-2685

Kings: NAMI East Flatbush 718-512-5269

New York: NAMI NYC Metro 212-684-3365

Peer-to-Peer is offered through our NAMI-NYC Metro affiliate located in Manhattan.

If you live in the NYC area and are interested in participating in this program, please contact the NAMI-NYC Metro office at (212) 684-3264.