NAMI of Preble County

NAMI Newsletter

Family-to-Family in Ohio: The Heart of It All State

by Mike Hogan, Ph.D., director, Ohio Department of Mental Health

It is great to communicate with family members, consumers, mental health professionals, and of course Family-to-Family Education Program volunteers about one of the best things that has happened recently in Ohio. In the past few years, like the Old Testament parable about the mustard seed that grows up to be a big, thriving plant, NAMI Ohio's Family-to-Family program has become a strong and effective force for change.

When I heard about Family-to-Family some years ago, it was clear that it was right for Ohio. In the whole field of services to people with serious brain disorders, we had moved past the stage where families were blamed for their loved one's illnesses. In fact, most professionals acknowledged the role of many families as both caregivers and advocates.

But I felt, and still feel, that there was another side to this picture. The sad reality was that families-though not scape-goated-received virtually no practical support or assistance as caregivers or advocates. We believed that maybe Family-to-Family could help, so the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) initiated a renewable $40,000 grant to NAMI Ohio to support Family-to-Family Education Program training. To put this in perspective, this grant was about one percent of one percent of the ODMH budget.

Our investment in Family-to-Family might be the best and most efficient investment we have made.

Several years later, thousands of family members-and a growing number of mental health professionals-have completed the program. From our point of view, this education has had immediate and specific benefits. For those family members who are primary caregivers-or even involved only occasionally in their loved one's support-the curriculum provided the practical knowledge about brain disorders that was never before available to them. Not only did this knowledge lift the family burden somewhat, but it also helped people ask for and advocate for improved services.

This brings me to the second huge benefit of Family-to-Family. Many family members in Ohio had learned how to support people close to them through years of experience. They were looking for something more. Family-to-Family provided a set of tools and knowledge that served as a "bridge" to becoming leaders and advocates. Together with consumer leaders who also have developed advocacy skills, Ohio's system is becoming "leader-full," with the energy coming from the grassroots, not just from the top.

We are moving into a second generation of Family-to-Family activities. A unique partnership has been created among our state treatment facilities, where Family-to-Family education is offered at every hospital. Because of the great work by Bernie Schell and the NAMI Ohio team, there are now Family-to-Family trainers in every part of the state. The hospitals will support future training and give family members support and advocacy tools when they need them most. In fact, we see this partnership as a "best practice" in improving services.

The impact of the Family-to-Family Education Program has been felt even at the Ohio General Assembly. In the state budget just enacted, the legislature added $100,000 to the Department of Mental Health budget specifically to support family training and advocacy. This vote of confidence will help strengthen, solidify, and support Family-to-Family in the future.

Based on our experience in Ohio, this is my advice: Every state and local public system for people with brain disorders should fund support and education for families and for consumers. Every agency should welcome the extraordinary benefits of this education and support. And, most of all, every family member and consumer should seek out and participate in this program. Knowledge is power, and education is empowerment. In Ohio, Family-to-Family has helped teach us this lesson.

Preble County Family Support Group meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 6:30 p.m. at the Preble County Senior Center, 800 E. St.Clair Street, Eaton, OH 45320