Course available to parents of children with challenges

SUSSEX — The Sussex County affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will offer a Spring 2014 NAMI Basics course in partnership with Family Partners of Morris/Sussex.

NAMI Basics is a free six-session course for parents/guardians of children with emotional, behavioral or mental health challenges. The course will be held Saturday mornings, beginning March 22 and running through May 3, from 9:30 a.m. until noon at First Baptist Church, 4 E. Main St., in Sussex.

Trained caregivers, who have experienced behavioral challenges in their own children, will teach the course. The comprehensive curriculum covers Attention Deficit Disorder, major depression, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, anxiety disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Childhood Schizophrenia.

Course participants will gain empathy and insight into the subjective experience of the child living with mental health and behavioral challenges. As caregivers, they will learn more effective listening, communication and problem-solving skills. Acknowledgment of the stresses and strains on the family, including siblings, will be an important component of the course.

Current research related to the biology of mental health challenges is covered in the course, along with how to get an accurate diagnosis for a child. Treatment options are discussed, including how medications work and their pros and cons in the treatment of children. Families will learn how to find supports and services within the school system and the community.

A theme of the NAMI Basics course is that "No one should have to face this journey alone!"

For more information, or to register for the course, call 973-764-1135 or email nami.sussex@yahoo.com. Class size is limited to 15. Anyone interested is urged to register as soon as possible.