Families of persons with serious mental illness play an important role in the lives of their loved ones. In addition to being caring siblings, parents or spouses, they often function as caregivers and can be an asset to any mental health team to assure optimal benefit of treatment. A new workforce is emerging to support these families. Family peer support workers are persons with a lived experience trained to provide support to other family members who are caring for a person with a serious mental illness.

In this presentation, Mid-America MHTTC specialists and partners with Omaha-based Community Alliance will describe how family peer support workers help families adjust their thoughts, feelings and behavior to promote health and well-being. Self-care allows family members to relate better to their loved ones, and providers and practitioners to promote recovery. Participants will understand how a family peer support worker can help families:  

•             Adopt productive self-care strategies through teaching and modeling;

•             Understand, identify, and accept their own emotional response to the illness of a loved one; and

•             Develop a personal self-care plan.

Content is tailored to address needs within our four-state region — Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri — but all are welcome.