For years, NAMI Athens has offered Family-to-Family, a free, twelve-week series of night courses for family and loved ones of adults with mental illness. In 2008, our affiliate also began offering Hand-to-Hand for parents of Children with mental illnesses. Now we offer similar free course tailored for and by people in recovery from mental illness called Peer-to-Peer.

The idea began in 2006 when NAMI National offered money for Peer-to-Peer training and instruction. At that time, local consumer/activist Sandy White took the training and taught one round of the course. Unfortunately, funding from NAMI National was not again forthcoming and NAMI Ohio was unable to pick up the slack. In 2008, however, in spite of the lack of funding from above, some local affiliates decided to do Peer-to-Peer on their own. NAMI Greater Cincinnati offered P2P mentor training at a fee, and several affiliates paid for would-be consumer/mentors to be trained. Since two, preferably three, mentors are normally required, NAMI Athens sent two more Athenians to be trained: Matt Gallagher and NAMI Board member, Adele Boggs. In the spring of 2009, the three instructors began offering Peer-to-Peer again.

When Matt moved to California later that year, NAMI Athens decided to use funds given to us by the First Presbyterian Church of Athens to send another local consumer/activist, Pete Wuscher, to Richmond for P2P training by NAMI Virginia. Our determination and ability to continue offering this great NAMI course had not flagged!

For information about Peer-to-Peer - offered in both the spring and fall - call the NAMI office at 740-593-7424.

Participant comments about this class:

• The class was well coordinated and balanced. There was enough presence for individual help if needed. It was well organized and easy to understand.
  

• The class provided useful information. I met a good group of people.
  

• I now have more hope.

• The team was informed, interacted well and helped me have hope to function better.
  

• The class really helped me to understand aspects of my illness. I impacted my life deeply and was a wonderful group activity. The interaction was very complementary, not conflicting in any way or abusive.
  

• The class reminded me there is hope and a chance to be more well.
  

• I felt reassured in my recovery.
  

• The course was overall very helpful. It's nice to know I'm not the only one feeling this way. It was nice to find out what to do to hopefully deal with it a little better.
  

• The class helped me understand myself better. It gave me more knowledge, and knowledge is a power you need to understand what makes you, you. Learning to center myself within the moment is very helpful to me.
  

• The teaching team has been great. They are very understanding, knowledgeable and helpful. They're really there for you.