When a loved one is suffering with a mental illness, those around him or her suffer as well.
The Center for Behavioral Medicine offers an intensive skills-based program to help family members better understand their loved one’s chronic mental illness and deal with the challenging behaviors that accompany it.
Goals of past family participants:
- To gain knowledge of ways to help our loved ones
- Learn time management skills
- Gain knowledge and understanding of mood regulation illnesses
- Learn acceptance of the illness and the person
- How to eliminate blame
- Learn validation skills
- Learn effective communication
- Learn accountability: When’s and how’s to hold self and other accountable.
- Learn skills for good self-care
- Learn about healthy boundaries
- Learning when to say “YES” and “NO”
- Learn about self-regulation
- Learn how to effectively use skills in the moment
- Learn skills for interpersonal effectiveness
- Learn how to assess danger and what to do
- Build confidence in skills use
- Learn about how emotions work
- Be able to share skills with others
- Build an increased sense of hope
- Learn how to love effectively and be encouraging
- Learn how to identify realistic expectations (letting go)
- Learn how to heal harm (building trust)
Format
Family Skills Training consists of two parts – the first part is a day-long workshop; the second consists of eight 2-hour sessions on a weeknight every other week. (Call for brochure) The presenter is Dr. Joan Russo. The program is offered annually; our 2010 dates are as follows: Workshop is Saturday, September 11 from 8 to 4:30; Tuesday sessions from 6 to 8 pm are September 21, October 5 and 19, November 2 and 16 and 30, and December 14, and wrap up on the 28th.
Who Should Attend
We like to encourage more than one member of a family to attend together. Therefore, up to two adult relatives of the same family member can attend all sessions for one price! This may be a spouse, significant other, parent, sibling or adult “child” of an ill family member. Regular attendance is required by all registered participants at all sessions.
What Family Skills Training Program participants from the last 5 years have said:
• “The program really helped me learn to accept my loved one’s struggle in a more loving manner.” CW
• “I loved the section on Radical Acceptance. It changed my life.” JA
• “There’s much less chaos in our family now.” RB
• “As a couple we are dealing with our daughter’s roller coaster of emotions much better.” DC
• “I was desperate before this course; now I feel more grounded and dealing with things much better.” ED
• “Great program. I wish I’d known about this type of approach sooner.” LL
• “It’s great to be together with other families who understand and who we can talk to freely without a sense of shame.” PG
• “I’d leave class with hope and new things to try.” LM
• “As parents, when our behavior changed so did that of the rest of the family – all for the better. Thank you so much.” DB
Cost
The total cost/family for the day-long workshop, handouts and eight training sessions is $574 which may be paid via check or credit card monthly at $131/month. A $50 non-refundable deposit reserves your place. We do not bill insurance for this program.
How to Enroll
Call 262-782-2820 to obtain application information. We offer this program when enough interested participants are enrolled and we do limit class size, so be sure to reserve your spot.
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