NAMI Family-to-Family is NAMI’s flagship education program for family members of people diagnosed with mental health conditions. This free, 8-week program is facilitated by trained volunteers who are family members, caring for their loved ones themselves.
The class provides family caretakers with education about mental health conditions, skills workshops, and information about available resources. The NAMI Family-to-Family curriculum includes:
- Information about mental health conditions and treatments
- Coping skills, handling crisis and relapse, local and national resources
- Listening and communication techniques
- Problem solving, limit setting, self-care
Most importantly, the class offers family members the invaluable opportunity of open conversation and mutual support in a stigma-free environment. Class participants, now more than 400,000 people nationwide, find that the Family-to-Family experience empowers them to understand and pursue paths toward healthy recovery for their loved ones, their families, and themselves.
Please note that our NAMI Family-to-Family classes are currently offered both virtually and in-person. Pre-registration is required.
For in-person classes, please review our guidance for in-person programs during COVID-19 before attending.
We encourage you to register for the class based in your area, but classes are open to all. View our map to find the NAMI affiliate in your area.
F2F-NAMI Central Middlesex – NAMI Cambridge/Middlesex – March 2024
Date: Saturdays; March 23, 2024 – May 18, 2024
Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM
Location: Winchester, MA
F2F – NAMI Newton Wellesley – Statewide – Virtual
Date: Thursdays; March 28, 2024 – May 16, 2024
Time: 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Location: Zoom
F2F NAMI North Central – Spring 2024 – Statewide
Date: Mondays; April 22, 2024 – June 17, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Zoom
F2F – NAMI Plymouth Area – Spring 2024
Date: Wednesdays; May 1, 2024 – June 19, 2024
Time: 6:15 – 8:45 PM
Location: Plymouth, MA
Contact: Laura Geigle at 508-333-6727 or McGillicud4@aol.com; Linda Geary at 774-766-2472 or LMGeary@comcast.net
Curso Virtual de Familia a Familia – NAMI Spanish-Language Family-to-Family class – Virtual
Otoño 2024
Contacto: NAMI Western Mass en information@namiwm.org o 413-786-9139
Day 1: Saturday, February 17, 2024
Time: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Day 2: Sunday, February 18, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 5:00 PM
Trainers: Steve Hadden and Dori Prescott
Location: NAMI Massachusetts, 331 Montvale Ave, Suite 200, Woburn, MA 01801
Contact: Ilya Cherkasov at (617) 286-7607 or icherkasov@namimass.org
NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 8 or 9-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people living with mental health conditions.
A NAMI Family-to-Family teacher is a trained NAMI leader who plays an important role in ensuring that all participants feel welcomed and supported. They are volunteers who become certified by completing a self-paced 2-hour pre-training online module and then attending and graduating from one-and-a half-day in-person training. Teacher trainees must go through an application and screening process before being approved to attend a training event.
Thanks to the DMH grant, NAMI Mass can now acknowledge each F2F leader’s contribution with an optional $400 stipend for each course they teach.
All meals and program supplies are provided free of charge to all trainees.
Hotel accommodation is provided for trainees from far-flung affiliates.
Check out our Family Support resource page.
You can also contact our Compass helpline. Learn more about Compass.
Ilya Cherkasov, MS
(he/him/his)
Senior Manager, Education & Support
617-286-7607
icherkasov@namimass.org
Eliza T. Williamson, M.Ed, MFA, CPS
Deputy Director of Programs
617-286-7616
ewilliamson@namimass.org