Please consult the listings below for information about NAMI-NYC Metro courses and support groups for consumers, friends, and family members. Due to occasional changes in date, time, or location, contact the Helpline (212.684.3264, helpline@naminyc.org) or your group facilitator to confirm meetings.

NEW COURSES, SUPPORT GROUPS, AND PROGRAMS

Peer-to-Peer Course NEW COURSES STARTING MARCH 2008 This is a free 9-week experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery. The course reviews aspects of mental illness and the mental health system including coping, medication, treatment and advocacy. To sign up or more information click here, or call the Helpline at 212.684.3264.

Your Child's Mental Health: A monthly lunch hour conference call series. Click here for more information.

COURSES AND PROGRAMS

Parent Matching Program Experienced Parents: We need your help! We are looking for volunteer "Support Parents" who can help provide a small amount of telephone time to parents of children and adolescents recently diagnosed with mental illness. Remember how you felt when your child was first diagnosed? Well, now these parents need the emotional support from someone who has "been there." If you are a parent or caregiver of a young adult (under 25) with mental illness, feel comfortable with your child's diagnosis, are a good listener and non-judgmental and are willing to share some of your experiences with other parents, then the Parent Matching Program needs you! Training and ongoing support for volunteers will be provided. To apply or to get more information, please call NAMI-NYC Metro Services Coordinator Mary Lee Gupta, LMSW, at 212.684.3365 ext. 204.

Family-to-Family Course This free 12-week course gives family members of individuals with major mental illness the opportunity to learn skills to cope more effectively. The course is taught by trained family members. Topics include: medication, developing empathy for your family member's experience, self-care and letting go of guilt. For more information or call the Helpline at 212.684.3264.

GROUPS FOR CONSUMERS

Pet Therapy at NAMI (Starting January 19th, 2008) Facilitator: Wendy Wilson Pet therapy seeks to provide comfort and healing through visits with professionally trained therapy dogs and their owners.NAMI-NYC Metro has teamed up with the Good Dog Foundation to offer this new support group. Since its inception in 1998, the Good Dog Foundation has made great strides in achieving its goal of aiding those in need and enhancing their quality of life through animal-assisted therapy. They have trained over 200 teams of therapy dogs and their owners, and provide this service for adults and children in over 40 hospitals, support groups, and other settings.The group meets on the third Saturday of each month from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the NAMI office. Refreshments will be served. Please call the NAMI Helpline at 212.684.3264 for more information.

Bipolar Disorder Support Group Facilitator: Rich Satkin For individuals with bipolar bisorder. The group meets at 6:30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at the NAMI office. The group's facilitator is a consumer with bipolar disorder who has been virtually symptom-free for more than 25 years. In 1981, he co-founded the Manic and Depressive Support Group (now the Mood Disorders Support Group). He has facilitated many groups over the years. Contact the Helpline at 212.684.3264 or helpline@naminyc.org to see if this group is appropriate for your needs.

The Day After DBT Co-sponsored by NAMI-NYC Metro and Holliswood Hospital In addition to Holliswood, Day After DBT classes are also held at the NAMI office on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month at 6 pm. This is a support group for people who have been previously or are currently in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT Skills Training). Keep your skills alive and build mastery in your life through mindfulness. This group will be both proactive and interactive. Contact Pauline Prin at 718.937.1209 to become a part of this innovative, structured, support group.It will meet on the first and third Wednesday of every month, 6:00 pm, at Holliswood Hospital, 87-37 Palermo Street, Queens, New York. Call the hospital's main phone number (718.776.8181) to get recorded directions.

Manhattan Awakenings Group Facilitators: Steven Konyha & Henry Braun Support and sharing of strategies for successful living for mental health consumers. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday and third Monday of the month at the NAMI office, 6 pm. Contact the Helpline at 212.684.3264 or helpline@naminyc.org for questions about the group.

Queens Awakenings Group On Hiatus (seeking a new facilitator) Support and sharing of strategies for successful living for mental health consumers. Interested parties may call the Helpline to be put on the waiting list. Brooklyn Awakenings Group Facilitator: Rick Sostchen Provides consumers with support and sharing of strategies for successful living. The group meets every Wednesday at 250 Baltic Street, 5-6:30 pm. If interested, please feel free to attend. Contact Rick at 718.875.7744 (day) or email him at rsostchen@balticstreet.org with questions.

Client Support Network Facilitators: Patricia Maher-Brisen and Doug Leeds In a warm friendly atmosphere of peer support, develop coping strategies for dealing with social goals, and entitlement issues, accessing mental health services and community resources. Meeting second Saturday of each month from 5:30 - 7:00 pm at the NAMI Office. Interested parties should feel free to attend, please call the Helpline (212.684.3264) if you have any questions.

Job Talk Facilitator: Ed O'Donnell Professional guidance and peer support for mental health consumers with any employment-related issue. The group is held on the fourth Friday of the month at the NAMI office, 6:45 pm. Interested parties should feel free to attend. Please call the Helpline with questions.

Individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Mount Sinai Facilitator: Lauren Priday This group offers support and cognitive behavioral techniques for individuals with OCD. Meetings are held on the first Friday of the month at 5:30 pm at Mount Sinai. Interested parties should contact the Helpline at 212.684.3264, and the facilitator will get back to you. Individuals with Obessive Compulsive Disorder, NAMI office Facilitator: Steve Poskar This group offers support and cognitive behavioral techniques for individuals with OCD. Meetings are held on the third Friday of each month at 6 pm at the NAMI office. Interested parties should call the Helpline and a facilitator will contact you. Current members of the Mount Sinai group should feel free to attend.

GROUPS FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS

Spanish Support Group for Spanish-Speaking Family Members & Friends Facilitator: David Deferrari Support and sharing of strategies for successful living. This group meets the third Wednesday of every month at 6 pm the Elmurst Hospital Center (79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373). Interested parties should call Jose Morales at Elmhurst Hospital, at 718.334.2309, for more information.

Daughters & Sons of Persons with Mental Illness Facilitator: Stasia Pasela This support group is for adult children of mental health consumers looking for a safe space to share in confidence any issue related to having a parent with a mental illness. The group will be held on the second Monday of the month at the NAMI office, 6:15 pm. Interested parties must speak to the facilitator before attending the group. Please leave your name and phone number with the Helpline and the facilitator will call you.

Family-to-Family Support Group Facilitator: Patti Sacher Provides support for individuals who have attended the Family-to-Family course. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month at the NAMI office, 6 pm. Interested parties who have completed the Family-to-Family course may attend.

Parents of Children & Adolescents Facilitators: Nancy Parker, Gordie Cooke, and Mary Ann Ceron (Bilingual Facilitator) Meeting twice a month, this group is for parents and family members of children and teens with severe emotional/behavioral disorders (SED) or mental illnesses. This peer-run self-help group offers support and practical information. Participants share experiences and learn how others cope. Meetings are held the second Monday of the month from 6:00 - 7:30 pm, and on the first Saturday from 12:30 - 2:00 pm at the NAMI office. Interested parties feel free to attend, call the Helpline (212.684.3264) with questions.

Uptown Family Support Group Facilitator: Susan Hirsch For all family members of individuals with severe mental illness. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month at Mount Sinai, 6 pm. Interested parties must call the facilitator at 718.857.0369.

Family & Friends Support Group Facilitator: Patti Sacher For family and friends of individuals suffering from mental illness who need support and practical information. The group meets on the second Thursday of the month at the NAMI office, 6 pm. Interested parties should feel free to attend. Call the Helpline with questions.

Sibling & Adult Child Group Facilitator: Sharon Bogart With a focus on how mental illness affects the "well" sibling or adult child, this group meets on the second Thursday of the month at the NAMI office, 6 pm. Interested parties must speak with the facilitator before attending. Please leave your name and phone number with the Helpline and the facilitator will call you.

Family & Friends of Individuals with Mood Disorders Facilitators: Debbie Finn and Joan Mellon For any family member of a person with manic depression/bipolar disorder, depression, cyclothymia, dysthymia or schizoaffective disorder. This group meets on the third Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the NAMI Office. Call the Helpline (212.684.3264) to determine if this group is the most appropriate for your needs. If you would like to speak to a facilitator before attending the group, leave your contact information the the Helpline. Please leave your name and phone number with the Helpline and the facilitator will call you.

Family & Friends of Individuals with OCD Facilitator: Barbara Seaman For any family member or friend of a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder. First Wednesday of the month at the NAMI office, 6 pm. Interested parties must speak with the facilitator before attending the group. Please leave your name and number with the Helpline and the facilitator will contact you.

West Queens Family Support Group Facilitators: Paula Provides education and support for family members of individuals with a mental illness. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month. For more information, please call the Helpline and leave your name and phone number. The facilitator will call you back.

Criminal Justice Support Group Facilitators: Leah Gitter For family of mentally ill individuals in the criminal justice system who are coping with legal, psychiatric and medical crisis. This group meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at the NAMI office, 6 pm. Interested parties can reach Leah at 212.431.7276. Please call before each group session in case of location change.

Bronx Norwood Family and Consumer Group Temporarily on hiatus. Facilitator: Pam Silvestri A place for families, friends and consumers to share their experiences and coping strategies. Call the Helpline to find out when the group will be starting again.

Media & Advocacy Discussion Group Facilitator: Judith Carrington This is not a support/education group, but a group for NAMI-NYC Metro members interested in monitoring media coverage of mental health/illness issues and becoming actively involved in discussion and implementation of NAMI-NYC Metro media and advocacy initiatives. Meets on the first Monday of each month (except holidays) at 6:00 pm. at the NAMI-NYC Metro office. Contact Judith at mhresources@nyc.rr.com, using the subject of "MAG Meeting," to confirm attendance, or for further information.