National Alliance on Mental Illness to establish presence in Cape Girardeau

A long-established Cape Girardeau-based depression and bipolar assistance group is joining with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Jefferson City, Missouri, to provide services to the family members of people who struggle with mental illness.

NAMI Missouri executive director Cindi Keele said the Depression-Bipolar Support Alliance of Southeast Missouri has served for more than 20 years, publishing a newsletter five times annually and maintaining a support group, but it has now decided to focus on families as well.

The new group, NAMI Cape Girardeau, needs at least four volunteers to take expense-paid training Aug. 15 through 17 in Jefferson City, Keele said. Call 1-800-374-2138, 573-634-7727 or visit the NAMI Cape Girardeau Facebook page for an application.

"Our Family-to-Family training has been shown to significantly reduce the family's perception of the burden brought about by their loved one's symptoms," she said.

Keele said NAMI had wanted to do a better job in this area for many years but had been stymied until the DBSA came forward.

DBSA president Sue Floyd of Cape Girardeau, who may be reached at 573-332-0724, said her executive board earlier this year voted to invite NAMI here and that her group is enthusiastic about those plans, which Keele said include opening an office.

She said the volunteers will conduct support groups and provide education for the family members of children, adolescents and adults with mental health needs.

"We're thrilled to be working so closely with Sue and the other local leaders, a good number of whom have been NAMI members for years," said Keele, adding that her organization is based in Arlington, Virginia, and works in 51 states.

"All our programs are peer-led and our courses are peer-taught," she said in a news release. "If you are the relative of an individual who experiences severe depression, bipolar illness, schizophrenia or other serious mental condition, you or another family volunteer can make a difference.

"No teaching experience is needed, just a sincere desire to help other families."

She said the program "increases feelings of hope, and even more exciting, studies show that the family member with mental illness takes steps toward recovery and has fewer relapses and hospitalizations."