NAMI Homefront: Education and Support Initiative Will Help Families of Military Service Members and Veterans Who Confront Mental Health Challenges

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is launching a new program to provide education and support to families of Military Service Members and Veterans affected by major mental health conditions.

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"NAMI Homefront" is based on the evidence-based NAMI Family-to-Family education program, which has been used in recent years at U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health facilities.

NAMI Homefront adapts the NAMI Family-to-Family curriculum to the unique needs of military and veterans' communities, such as post-deployment and post-discharge transitions.

"When one person in a family is living with a mental health problem, the entire family is challenged," said NAMI Executive Director Michael Fitzpatrick. "Families of Service Members and Veterans are not immune, particularly in the case of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."

"NAMI Homefront's mission is to provide education for managing conditions, provide support and to help break down the stigma of seeking help."

In early 2014, NAMI will begin to implement the new program in six states. The free course is comprised of six peer-led sessions of instruction. Trained teachers in the program have family members who themselves are Service Members or Veterans and live with mental illness.

In a second phase, NAMI will offer a free online option nationwide.

The new program will become one of ten NAMI signature education and support programs.

NAMI Homefront is being funded by grants from the Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMS) Foundation, Cigna Foundation, Janssen Research and Development, Inc., Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

About NAMI

NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

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SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)