NAMI Memphis offers two courses for families and caregivers, "With Hope in Mind" and "With Hope In Mind Beginnings" All courses are taught by family members who have completed the course and received training from NAMI. That means that you’ll find teachers and peers in your class who know first-hand the day-to-day challenges of caring for someone with a mental illness (brain disorder), and have found support and ideas that help.

Check this list to see which class is right for you.

WHIM With Hope In Mind- For family and friends of adults diagnosed with mental illness.

WHIM-B With Hope in Mind Begginnings- For primary care providers of children (18 and younger) diagnosed with or experiencing symptoms of mental disorders, such as ADHD, Bi-polar, etc.

We also highly recommend a third course called BRIDGES.

BRIDGES Done by TMHCA (Tennesse Mental Health Consumers Association)- For persons with a diagnosis of major mental illness.

WHIM (With Hope In Mind)

If an adult in your family has a severe and persistent mental illness, you know how devastating the effects can be. He or she may even live with you or depend on you for care management. Any success he or she might enjoy living in the community may depend largely on your family's capacity for providing a stable environment.

The WHIM course provides the basic education and skill training you need to cope with the difficulties associated with caring for relatives who are mental health consumers. WHIM offers helpful skill-building classes, such as problem management, communication and crisis planning, and provides you with immediate coping skills for dealing with the different cycles of each illness. It also gives you the practical and emotional support you need as a caretaker in the mental health system. WHIM offers two components: education and support groups. Participating in both parts of the program gives you the most benefit, but you can take part in either or both.

WHIM is a free, 8-session course taught by trained family members.

WHIM-B (With Hope In Mind-Beginnings)

 
If a child or adolescent with a mental illness depends on you for his or her primary care, you’ll find a wealth of information and support in WHIM classes. Many primary caregivers are parents, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, respite care provider and foster parents attend WHIM too. Classes offer you a safe, supportive place to share your experiences and learn valuable lessons from other adults who care for children with mental disorders.

In WHIM-B classes you’ll learn about brain biology and specific brain disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Eating Disorders, Anxiety, Panic, Schizophrenia, Post-Traumatic Stress and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Additionally, you’ll learn these essential coping skills:

* Communication
* Coping and Self-Care
* Problem Management
* Advocacy and Stigma
* Organization and Record-Keeping

WHIM-B is a free, 6-session course taught by NAMI-trained people who, like you, care for a young person with mental illness.

BRIDGES (Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through Education and Support), a program administered by the Tennessee Mental Health Consumer’s Association (TMHCA), provides education and support to mental health consumers. The world of mental disorders is difficult and confusing, especially for those directly experiencing illness. BRIDGES is designed to assist you, or someone you love, on the journey back to a sense of self and purpose. BRIDGES provides hope, information and coping skills.

Consumers trained in the BRIDGES method share common experiences and offer tools to help others build personal bridges to recovery. Support groups are directed by trained class members who are themselves in recovery. They are free and available to everyone who has a diagnosis of mental illness. Many BRIDGES courses are taught in drop-in centers across the state.

Support groups use a person-to-person approach to provide consumers with opportunities to learn and practice coping skills. One consumer described Bridges this way: “We learn that we are not alone. Our experiences, when shared, can be a foundation for recovery.”

For information about BRIDGES, visit the Tennessee Mental Health Consumers' Association web site or contact them at 888-539-0393.