Family to Family (F2F)

The NAMI Family to Family Education Program is a 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses. According to NAMI National's website, over 115,000 family members have graduated from this national program. The course offers a wide variety of information including: current information about mental illnesses, medications, current research, gaining empathy, learing problem solving, listening and communication techniques, acquiring strategies for handling crises and relapse, focusing on the caregiver, guidance on locating appropriate supports and services and information on advocacy initiatives.

As with all NAMI educational programs, registration and all instruction materials are FREE to participants. See our calendar for the latest schedule or email us at: namiomaha@gmail.com.

In Our Own Voice (IOOV)

In Our Own Voice is a unique public education program developed by NAMI, in which two trained consumer speakers share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery. IOOV is an opportunity for those who have struggled with mental illness to gain confidence and to share their individual experiences of recovery and transformation. IOOV presentations are given to consumer groups, students, law enforcement officials, educators, providers, faith community members, politicians, professionals, inmates and interested civic groups. All IOOV presentations are offered FREE of charge. To set up an In Our Own Voice presentation please contact NAMI Omaha at namiomaha@gmail.com.

NAMI Basics

NAMI Basics is the newest signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The course consists of six classes each lasting for 2 1/2 hours and is taught by trained teachers who are the parents or caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years. As with all NAMI Omaha educational programs, all instruction materials are FREE to participants. To learn more about attending a NAMI Basics course please email NAMI Omaha at namiomaha@gmail.com.

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)

A variety of programs have been established throughout Nebraska with the goal of enhancing law enforcement’s response toward individuals with mental illness. In Omaha, a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model was developed and adopted as a cooperative community partnership involving law enforcement agencies, mental health service providers, mental health consumers, family members, and community stakeholders.

Through participation in this program, CIT police officers learn to recognize common forms of mental illness and to utilize the most effective means of communicating with people undergoing a crisis. The officers are trained to de-escalate the individuals in crisis and allow the consumer to participate in decision-making regarding their treatment.

For more information on CIT please email Rebecca Hancock CIT State Coordinator at rebecca.hancock@onelfs.org