"Hope for Recovery" course offered this Saturday in Decorah

Mental illness affects everyone in the family, not just the one who carries the diagnosis. Family members can often feel overwhelmed in attempting to learn about and deal with a mental illness.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Northeast Iowa will present a free one-day course, "Hope for Recovery," designed for family members who have a loved one dealing with a debilitating mental illness. The course is also open to the general public and people who are interested in learning more about mental illness.

Participants will learn about different types of mental illnesses, possible treatment and recovery options, coping strategies and communication tools, the mental health system and local resources for dealing with mental illness.

The course will be offered on two Saturdays throughout August from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at two Northeast Iowa locations.

The first class will be held on August 13th in Decorah at Families First Counseling Services. For information regarding this event, contact Brita Carbonell at (319)-505-3814.

The second class will be held on August 27th in Waukon at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. For more information on this event, contact Susan Friedrich at (563)-422-7882.

There is no charge for the course, although participants are asked to bring a sack lunch. To register for this course, or to find out more, visit Hope4recoveryneiowa5.eventbrite.com