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| Image: Aubrey Arcangel |
The Independent
Homefront is a free class for family members of veterans or service members who are struggling with mental health conditions. This free six-session course focuses on the unique needs of military and veteran communities, such as post-deployment and post-discharge transitions. The courses will be held Wednesdays from 7 to 9:30 p.m. July 15 through Aug. 26 (skipping July 29) at the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
Homefront is an adaptation of the evidence-based Family-to-Family Education Program, which has been taught in VA health facilities since the late 1990s. The course is designed to help family members understand and support their veteran family members while maintaining their own well-being. The teachers are also family members who have experience with military culture and know what it’s like to have a loved one living with symptoms of a mental health condition.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness advocates for access to services, treatment, support, and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for those in need.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Utah’s mission is to ensure the dignity and improve the lives of those who live with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy, offering weekly support groups for the mentally ill to help them learn more about their condition as well as skills that may help them cope with their condition.
Once a month, they offer a contact group in the form of an open forum where participants can share their experiences and help support each other. They also offer weekly support groups for families with members struggling with mental illness to learn more about mental illness, help them learn skills to cope and communicate, and to share their experiences with other families.
Funding for this program is generously supported by a grant from the Wheeler Foundation.
Support groups in St. George meet at 515 West 300 North. For more information, please visit http://namiut-sw.org. To register, please call (801) 323-9900. For further questions, please contact Erin Akers at (801) 869-2887 or at [email protected].
