Learn to Teach NAMI’s Family to Family Course
NAMI’s signature evidence based Family to Family class has changed lives all over the country. Your personal journey loving and supporting someone who lives with a mental health condition makes you a candidate for the rewarding experience of helping other families by teaching NAMI Family to Family. Our course leaders play an important role in ensuring that all participants feel welcome and supported. They empathize with and encourage caregivers who are just beginning or those enmeshed further in their families mental health journey.
Teacher training is designed for participants to learn and practice specific skills that will guarantee a meaningful and informative educational experience for all participants. After the training, certified leaders know how to deliver class content, how to encourage collective thought, and how to direct energy towards positive outcomes. Teachers make use of a class manual and facilitation skills to ensure participants experience a safe learning environment. For the first class taught, new teachers will be matched up with an experienced co-leader.
Any of our affiliate’s Family to Family teachers would be delighted to talk with you about their experience teaching the course. Send us a note, and we’ll put you in touch, nami.cmsx@gmail.com. Information about the training program is outlined below.
Two-day Leader Training
Saturday, March 29, 2025, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday, March 30, 2025, 12 pm (noon) to 5:00 pm
At NAMI Massachusetts office in Woburn, MA
NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 8 or 9-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people living with mental health conditions. Each session is taught by two course leaders. It is offered in person and online.
A NAMI Family-to-Family teacher is a trained NAMI leader who plays an important role in ensuring that all participants feel welcomed and supported. NAMI Family-to-Family teachers are uniquely qualified to lead a class because they love and support a person living with a mental health condition. Teachers therefore can empathize with and encourage those who are just beginning or continuing their journey with a loved one.
NAMI Family-to-Family teachers are volunteers who become certified by attending and graduating from one-and-a half-day in-person training. The training is designed for teachers to learn and practice specific skills that will guarantee a meaningful and informative educational experience for all participants. Teacher trainees must go through an application and screening process before being approved to attend a training event.
Teacher Trainee Prerequisites:
Prospective teachers must be parents or other caregivers of an adult with a mental health condition, be at least 18 years of age and current NAMI members.
Prospective NAMI Family-to-Family teacher trainees are asked to co-teach a minimum of two courses. There is an expectation for all newly-trained teachers to teach their first class in 2025.
Prior F2F program experience preferred but not necessary.
Each teacher’s contribution for teaching F2F course is acknowledged with a $400 stipend.
All meals and program supplies are provided free of charge to all trainees. Hotel accommodation is provided for trainees from far-flung affiliates/areas. To get started, please download the training application form in the button below, fill it out, and then email it to Ilya Cherkasov, icherkasov@namimass.org, at NAMI Massachusetts.
Questions: please contact Ilya Cherkasov at 617-286-7607 or icherkasov@namimass.org.
