Info & Assistance

Free programs offered 

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota offers a free program for family members and friends of someone living with a mental illness this fall. Family to Family workshops are a transformative opportunity in which participants learn about mental illnesses, the brain, treatment, and resources. Participants will also build communication skills, reduce stress, find support, and discover the common stages of emotional responses when supporting someone with a mental illness. 

The class meets weekly for eight weeks, 6:30-9:00 p.m. Some classes will be virtual using the Zoom format. Some will be in person. Persons joining a virtual class will need a computer or tablet with a camera and high-speed internet to attend. Before starting any of the sessions,  short interview is needed prior to the class’s start. 

Start dates are: 

Mon, Sept. 12 via Zoom. FFI: Sue, 612-618-9011, suejohnsonemail@gmail.com 

Tue, Sept. 20 via Zoom. FFI: Pam, 612-419-6659, Elizabeth, 612-432-0471 

Thu, Sept. 29 in-person, in Dakota County. FFI: Joan, 612-205-7080 

Vision loss group offers activities 

Vision Loss Resources offers an audio activities line. To listen to the audio version of the calendar, call 612-235-3654. The calendar is also available on the website. Ask about virtual support groups, events, distance learning and no-contact grocery shopping and reading support. FFI: 612-843-3439, 612-871-2222, info@visionlossresources.org 

Many classes available 

NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has set up a wide variety of free and in-person online mental health classes. Choices include Hope for Recovery, Transitions, Ending the Silence, Understanding Early Episode Psychosis for Families, In Our Own Voice, Family to Family, Positive Psychology, Creating Caring Communities, smoking cessation, a suicide prevention class called QPR – Question, Persuade and Refer, a special QPR class for Agricultural Communities and many more. 

The classes are designed for family members and caregivers, persons living with a mental illness, service providers, and also the general public. Find a complete listing of these classes and how to join in by going to namimn.org and clicking on “Classes” or go straight to https://namimn.org/education-public-awareness/classes/scheduled/. 

Children, youth & families

PACER workshops sampling 

PACER Center offers many useful free or low-cost workshops and other resources for families of children with any disabilities. Workshops are online and livestreamed at this time. Advance registration is required for all workshops. At least 48 hours’ notice is needed for interpretation. Check out PACER’s website and link to the newsletter of statewide workshops that allows participants to pick and choose sessions designed for their needs. 

Intro to Assistive Technology: What It Is and How to Try It is 2-3:30 p.m. Tue, Sept. 20. The workshop will explore assistive technology to support the needs of people with disabilities. We will discuss categories of AT, choosing tools to use and the services of the Simon Technology Center. 

Tech for Girls Club : Journey through the Stars! Part Two is 10:30 a.m. to noon Sat, Sept. 24. In part two of Journey through the Stars, participants use what they learned about long journey space travel to build a model of the spacecraft they designed in part one. FFI: PACER, 952-838-9000, 800-537-2237, www.pacer.org