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NAMI's Peer-to-Peer Program
Peer-to-Peer is a unique, experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery.
The course was written by Kathryn Cohan McNulty, a person with a psychiatric disability who is also a former provider and manager in the mental health field and a longtime mutual support group member and facilitator.
An advisory board comprised of NAMI consumer members, in consultation with Joyce Burland, Ph.D., author of the successful NAMI Family-to-Family Education program, helped guide the curriculum’s development.
Since 2005, NAMI’s Peer-to-Peer Recovery Program has been supported by AstraZeneca.
What does the course include?
Peer-to-Peer consists of nine two-hour units and is taught by a team of three trained “Mentors” who are personally experienced at living well with mental illness.
Mentors are trained in weekend-long training sessions, supplied with teaching manuals, and are paid a stipend for each course they teach.
Participants come away from the course with:
- A binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources
- An advance directive
- A “relapse prevention plan” to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior, or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention
- Mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking
- And survival skills for working with providers and the general public.
Information about the course:
- Peer-to-Peer Classes being offered in Virginia
- Peer-to-Peer Class Topic List
- Course Information Sheet
- Promotional Flyer
Peer-to-Peer Classes in Virginia
This program is offered in:
- Northern Virginia - Kristen 703-915-2641
- Williamsburg - Steve 757-220-3135
- Fredericksburg - Ed 540-663-2526
- Charlottesville - John 804-363-6565
- Hampton/Newport News - Elyse 757-303-7669
- Richmond - Kathy 804-883-7528
- Winchester - Ami 540-869-1116
- Augusta Co - Liz 540-332-8205
- Virginia Beach - Kay 757-285-8362
- Portsmouth - MaryLou 757-541-8860
- Western Tidewater - Carol 757-562-2988
- Norfolk - John 757-622-1664
See a full list of Peer-to-Peer Classes in Virginia
(This site is temporarily out of service, please contact the provider in your area above for more inforamtion about their course. Thank you for your patience)
Thank you to everyone who attended Peer-to-Peer Mentor training in November, it was a huge success!
Peer-to-Peer trainings are held on an annual basis. To learn more about the next avaialbe opportunity please contact Sarah Eisenman, Director of Programs at 804-285-8464 x203
Who would make a good mentor? Someone with personal mental illness experience who is currently moving along their own path of recovery; who is comfortable with public speaking; has reliable transportation; would be able to commit to the three day training, and to teaching the nine-week class twice a year.
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