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Support 600 Family Members w/ a Loved One w/ Mental Illness

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Families of teens and young adults with mental illness lack the appropriate supportive tools
Too often our loved ones with mental illness end up in the criminal justice system, homeless, or worse. Skills vital to recovery are not provided to family caregivers. Most families feel isolated and overwhelmed. 58% of those receiving care, typically from parents, are between 18-39 years. On average, 32 hours per week is spent caregiving, typically over the course of 9 years.
My family friend Louis passed away after struggling for 3 years with schizoaffective disorder / bipolar type 1. The onset of Louis’ psychosis occurred when he was 19, first hospitalized in October 2014. From childhood through high school, Louis was happy, athletic, musically gifted, made friends easily, and achieved outstanding academic success. He was subsequently hospitalized three more times for durations of several weeks to months.
In March of 2017, Louis once again rejected therapy due to medication side effects along with non-acceptance of his condition, making it nearly impossible to manage. Two months later, in the throes of psychosis, he did not understand the danger posed by the nearby river. It is presumed that he perished on June 4, 2017.
The proceeds will fund the NAMI Family-to-Family program
Family-to-Family is a free 12-session, 32-hour-class for caregivers, family members, and friends of loved ones with mental illness. You will learn how to support individuals with serious mental illness while maintaining your own well-being.
Goals:
1. Develop skills to communicate and interact with the family’s loved one to facilitate recovery.
2. Understand how to get treatment promptly and effectively to preserve long-term cognition.
Testimonials:
"This course saved our family. It was the best thing we did to help our daughter. It helped us know we are not alone in her recovery.”
- Joe, Teacher
"This course saved our marriage and helped our son directly in his recovery. Once disabled and unable to work because of his mental illness he now works full-time and our family unit is closer than ever."
- Al, Police Officer
Family-to-Family
By donating you can help a family give the appropriate support to a child, teen, or young adult
The proceeds will be used to recruit and train 12 Family-to-Family instructors and provide the tools to 600 family members with a loved one with mental illness.
Family-to-Family is a free 12-session, 32-hour-class for caregivers, family members, and friends of loved ones with mental illness. You will learn how to support individuals with serious mental illness while maintaining your own well-being.
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46%-Train 12 instructors
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27%-Materials
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27%-Food for participants
See how far we've come
Our milestonesLeslie
Jacqueline
Jennifer
Alison
JEAN
Philemon
Jerry
Mike
+117 MORE MEMBERS
Created our project
May 14
Collected our first 3 pledges
May 14
Funded 25% of goal
May 16
Funded 50% of goal
May 31
Funded 75% of goal
Jun 1
Funded 100% of goal
Jun 4
Funded 100%+ of goal
Jun 4
We hit 100%!
Jun 5
I'm extremely grateful to my friends and family who helped me fund my latest fundraising project on CaringCrowd in honor of Louis Hjerpe. I want to particularly thank Jeanne Nelson and Fred Hjerpe. Without them, it would not have been possible.
Your generosity will now fund the NAMI El-Dorado Family to Family program supporting 600 family members with a loved one having a mental illness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Best,
Zach
Zachary Schleien
Project owner
NAMI El Dorado Update
Sep 29
Here is an update for NAMI El Dorado's Family to Family program.
- 4 new Family-to-Family (F2F) teachers (Dana, Val, Fred, Veronica).
- Multiple waitlisted for F2F educator training which will be held in South Lake Tahoe in July.
- Family to Family being planned for Spring 2019 in El Dorado Hills.
- Greater outreach being done across the county as a result of developing more F2F skilled volunteer and a higher volume of the community reaching to NAMI El Dorado County for support.
- NAMI El Dorado will be graduating a full class of 16 from F2F on 13-Oct.
Zachary Schleien
Project owner