Mental Health Education

Jump to: Education Classes | Presentations | Outreach & Advocacy

Education Classes

NAMI Peer-to-Peer

NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a free, 8-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who want to better understand themselves and their mental health recovery.

About Peer-to-Peer

Taught by trained leaders with lived experience, Peer-to-Peer includes activities, discussions, and informative videos. However, as with all NAMI programs, it does not include recommendations for treatment approaches.

What You’ll Gain

NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a safe, confidential space. The course provides an opportunity for mutual support and growth. Experience compassion and understanding from people who relate to your experiences. This is a place to learn more about recovery in an accepting environment. 
NAMI Peer-to-Peer helps you:

  • Set a vision and goals for the future
  • Partner with healthcare providers
  • Develop confidence in making decisions
  • Practice relaxation and stress reduction tools
  • Share your story
  • Strengthen relationships
  • Enhance communication skills
  • Learn about mental health treatment options

To learn more about Peer-to-Peer, please email info@namicentraloregon.org.

NAMI Family-to-Family

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 8-session educational program for families, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions.

Family-to-Family Class Rescheduled to January 24 to March 13, 2024 due to Inclement Weather

NAMI Central Oregon is offering Family-to-Family in-person at First Presbyterian Church in Bend, on Wednesdays, 5:30 – 8 PM, from January 24 to March 13.

To register for the course, contact us at info@namicentraloregon.org.

About Family-to-Family

Family-to-Family is a designated evidence-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.

NAMI Family-to-Family is taught by NAMI-trained family members who have been there and includes presentations, discussions, and interactive exercises.

What You’ll Gain

NAMI Family-to-Family provides information and strategies for caring for the person you love, but you’ll also discover that you’re not alone. Recovery is a journey, and there is hope.

The group setting of NAMI Family-to-Family provides mutual support and shared positive impact—experience compassion and reinforcement from people who understand your situation. Sharing your own experience may help others in your class. In the program, you’ll learn about:

  • How to solve problems and communicate effectively
  • Taking care of yourself and managing your stress
  • Supporting your loved one with compassion
  • Finding and using local support and services
  • Up-to-date information on mental health conditions and how they affect the brain
  • How to handle a crisis
  • Current treatments and therapies
  • The impact of mental health conditions on the entire family

To learn more about Family-to-Family, please email info@namicentraloregon.org.

NAMI Basics

NAMI Basics is a 6-session education program for parents, caregivers, and others who care for youth (ages 22 and younger) experiencing mental health symptoms.

About Basics

This program is free to participants, 99% of whom say they would recommend NAMI Basics to others. NAMI Basics is available in person, online via Zoom, and through NAMI Basics OnDemand.

The in-person and Zoom courses are taught by trained teams with lived experience raising a child with a mental health condition. They know what you’re going through because they’ve been there too.

NAMI Basics OnDemand

NAMI Basics OnDemand is also guided by parents and family members with lived experience but is self-paced and available 24/7. OnDemand offers the flexibility of participating in the course on your schedule. Both formats provide identical information, strategies, and the opportunity to connect with other parents and caregivers.

To learn more about Basics, please email info@namicentraloregon.org.


Presentations

NAMI Ending the Silence

NAMI Ending the Silence is an engaging presentation that helps middle and high-school-aged youth learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if you or a loved one are showing symptoms of a mental illness.

About Ending the Silence

Ending the Silence is a free, evidence-based, 50-minute presentation for middle and high school students. Your students will learn about mental health conditions through an engaging video and personal testimony from a young adult who describes their journey to recovery.

NAMI Ending the Silence presentations include two leaders: one who shares the new informative NAMI Ending the Silence video presentation and a young adult with a mental health condition who shares their mental health recovery journey. Audience members can ask questions and gain an understanding of an often-misunderstood topic. Through dialogue, we can help grow the movement to end stigma.

  • Free of cost to schools and communities
  • 50-minute presentation designed for middle and high school students that includes warning signs, facts, statistics, and how to get help for themselves or a friend. 
  • Research has shown that NAMI Ending the Silence for Students effectively changes middle and high school students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions and seeking help.

To learn more about Ending the Silence, please email info@namicentraloregon.org.

NAMI In Our Own Voice

NAMI In Our Own Voice presentations change attitudes, assumptions, and ideas about people with mental health conditions. These free, 40-, 60- or 90-minute presentations provide a personal perspective of mental health conditions, as leaders with lived experience talk openly about what it’s like to have a mental health condition.

About In Our Own Voice

In Our Own Voice presentations provide:

  • An opportunity to hear open and honest perspectives on a highly misunderstood topic
  • A chance to ask leaders questions, allowing for a deeper understanding of mental health conditions and dispelling of stereotypes and misconceptions
  • The understanding that people with mental health conditions have lives enriched by hopes, dreams, and goals
  • Information on how to learn more about mental health and get involved with the mental health community

To learn more about In Our Own Voice, please email info@namicentraloregon.org.

NAMI Family & Friends

NAMI Family & Friends is a free 90-minute or 4-hour seminar that informs and supports people who have loved ones with a mental health condition.

About Family & Friends

Family & Friends participants learn about diagnoses, treatment, recovery, communication strategies, crisis preparation, and NAMI resources. Seminar leaders have personal experience with mental health conditions in their families.

NAMI Family & Friends Companion eBook

The NAMI Family & Friends companion eBook provides important information about mental health conditions, including conditions and diagnoses, treatment and recovery, crisis planning, resources, and more. You can download it for free:

To learn more about Family & Friends, please email info@namicentraloregon.org.


Outreach & Advocacy

Community Education

NAMI-Central Oregon offers free education to the community on topics relevant to mental health. Please join us in support of good mental health in our community.

For more information about having NAMI Central Oregon speak about mental health, please get in touch with us at info@namicentraloregon.org.

NAMI FaithNet

NAMI FaithNet is an interfaith resource network of NAMI members, friends, clergy, and congregations of all faith traditions who wish to encourage faith communities that welcome and support persons and families living with mental health conditions.

About FaithNet

NAMI FaithNet strives to encourage welcoming, caring congregations and promote the vital role of spirituality in the mental health recovery journeys of many who live with mental health conditions, those for whom faith is a key component.

Through the NAMI FaithNet website and efforts nationally and through FaithNet NAMI Central Oregon, NAMI and NAMI Central Oregon encourage an exchange of information, tools, and other resources to help educate and inspire faith communities about mental illness and the vital role spirituality plays in recovery for many.

NAMI FaithNet is not a religious network but includes an outreach effort to all religious organizations.

For more information about FaithNet, contact us at info@namicentraloregon.org or visit NAMI Central Oregon FaithNet.

Advocacy

NAMI Oregon members and allies band together to influence and improve state and local health care and government systems as they relate to individuals and families affected by mental health conditions.

About Advocacy

Members and allies contact state legislators, local government officials, health care administrators, law enforcement representatives, and many other people and agencies that touch our lives on a daily basis.

Like NAMI Oregon, NAMI Central Oregon uses the term advocacy in the broadest sense. Nearly everything we do concerning public outreach and education we believe contributes to our advocacy.

Our parent state organization NAMI Oregon’s primary role is to interact with state agencies and the Oregon Legislature to advance NAMI’s mission and policy priorities.

Sign up for NAMI Oregon’s public policy updates and other advocacy news. Updates are generally sent monthly with periodic special updates as events warrant. Please email tiffany@namior.org to sign up for alerts.