Portage County – If you have a family member living with mental illness, you can attend a free program that has helped many Ohioans. The Portage County Family-to-Family Education Program starts a new session March 27 in Kent. The national program provides families with up-to-date information about mental illnesses, treatments, medications, services and more. Participants soon find familiar stories and familiar problems among class members while also sharing information and hope. The class is taught by area residents who have a family member with mental illness. Classes will run for 12 weeks on Tuesday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the office of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, 155 E. Main St., Kent. To sign up, call Laura at 330-673-1756, ext. 201, or email her at laurab@mental-health-recovery.org. Deadline to register is March 26. The class is sponsored by the Mental Health & Recovery Board and NAMI Portage County. The MHRB is the county government agency that funds, plans and monitors community mental health and substance abuse treatment services for Portage residents. The board website is www.mental-health-recovery.org. NAMI is the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The group of family members, consumers and advocates meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at the MHRB office in Kent. All are welcome to attend for support and information. To learn more about Family-to-Family and NAMI, go to www.nami.org.
