The NAMI Provider Education program helps people who work with individuals living with mental illness understand the experience of mental illness from individual and family perspectives. Through exposure to personal stories, participants may gain tools that increase their empathy and professional skills thereby improving patient care.

NAMI Provider Education Brochure

What You Should Expect

  • Meets for 2.5 hours, once a week.
  • 5-week course
  • Free of cost.
  • Additional course format options are available if necessary.
  • Designed for people who work directly with individuals living with mental illness
  • Includes emergency room staff, social workers, law enforcement, guidance counselors, public defenders, peer specialists and more.
  • Taught by a trained team representing a spectrum of lived experience of mental illness.
  • Incorporates lectures, discussion and interactive exercises.
  • Includes Competent Caring: Psychiatric Emergency Response Training for Health Care Staff.

Why You Should Attend

Greater understanding of your impact on individuals and families

You have the power to shape an important piece of an individual or family’s journey toward recovery.  As a participant, you can learn about the lasting impact your care can make in a moment of crisis. You may supplement your professional understanding of your field with an understanding of the emotional and practical consequences of living with and recovering from mental illness.

Greater understanding of how to improve patient care

The panel of facilitators includes individuals living in recovery from mental illness, family members and mental health professionals. They will describe the vulnerability they experienced while seeking help and the factors that helped or hindered them. Equipped with the wisdom of their hindsight, you can learn about your opportunities for providing deeply effective care.

What Others Say About NAMI Provider Education

“When I went through the course, I kept thinking ‘what a wonderful learning experience that all our [hospital] staff need to have.’ We have worked hard over the years to create a more humanistic and compassionate culture.  This program will definitely help us in that direction.” – Participant

“Most of the attendees have expressed that the course has profoundly affected their work. Many have stated that this was the best training they have ever taken.” – Teacher

For more information, contact us:
Contact Provider Class Coordinator at providercourse@namisantaclara.org