Positive Outcomes for FPE The Family Guidelines

Here’s a list of things everyone can do to help Family Psychoeducation is generally considered one of the most beneficial and cost- make things run more smoothly. effective treatments for severe mental illness. 1. Go slow. Recovery takes time. Rest is It is included as one of only six Evidence- important. Things will get better in their Family based Practices for Severe Mental Illness: own time.

 Family Psychoeducation 2. Keep it cool. Enthusiasm is normal. Tone Psychoeducation  Assertive Community Treatment it down. Disagreement is normal. Tone it  Supported Employment down, too.

 Illness Management and Recovery 3. Give each other space. Time out is  Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment important for everyone. It’s okay to say  Medication Management “no”.

Family members report high satisfaction with 4. Set limits. Everyone needs to know what Family Psychoeducation and research indicates the rules are. A few good rules keep things clear. they have less stress, improved coping skills, and fewer physical illnesses. Family 5. Ignore what you can’t change. Let some Psychoeducation also improves community things slide. Don’t ignore violence. functioning steadily, especially for employment. 6. Keep it simple. Say what you have to say clearly, calmly, and positively.

Over 20 controlled research studies have 7. Follow doctor’s orders. Take medications shown Family Psychoeducation can be as as they are prescribed. Take only beneficial in the recovery of and medications that are prescribed. severe mood disorders as medication. Family Psychoeducation Contact: Outcome studies report a reduction in relapse 8. Carry on business as usual. Re-establish Scott Markell (507) 455-8113 rates by as much as 75%. The chart below family routines as quickly as possible. shows the percentage of consumers with Stay in touch with family and friends. Sandy Hinchley-Wolters (507) 446-1209 serious mental illness who relapse in a year. Allison Ludeman (507) 446-1208 9. No street drugs or alcohol. They make symptoms worse, can cause relapses and Relapse Outcomes in Clinical Trials prevent recovery.

70 65 10. Pick up on early signs. Note changes. 60 Consult with your family.

50 38 11. Solve problems step by step. Make South Central Human Relations Center 40 changes gradually. Work on one thing at a 610 Florence Ave 30 time. Owatonna, MN 55060 16 Phone (507) 451-2630 20 9 12. Lower expectations, temporarily. Use a 1-800-455-0590 10 personal yardstick. Compare this month to 0 last month rather than last year or next No Medication Individual Therapy & Single Family Mutifamily Groups & Medication Groups & Medication year. Medication Family Psychoeducation Why Family Psychoeducation? Components of FPE

Family Psychoeducation (FPE) involves a  People want information to help them After being referred for Family strong partnership between consumers, better understand mental illness and Psychoeducation, participants will participate families and supporters, and what can help. in three areas of Family Psychoeducation: practitioners. Family Psychoeducation is not  Consumers generally want and need . It is not designed to ‘work 1. Joining (Introductory) Sessions the support of their families. on’ a family, but rather to ‘work with’ a family. 2. Information and Education  Families usually want to be a part of 3. Ongoing Multifamily Groups Effective Family Psychoeducation programs the consumer’s recovery, but they have a common basis, methods, and set of often don’t want family therapy. principles. Through relationship building and  People want to develop skills to get Joining (Introductory) Sessions alliance, education, collaboration, problem back into the mainstream of life. solving, and an atmosphere of hope and Consumers and their families and supporters partnership, Family Psychoeducation helps meet with a Clinician several times to set the consumers and their families and supporters to: stage for an active partnership. Family Who Can Benefit? Psychoeducation does not focus on the past or  Learn what they need to know about who is to blame but on what we all need to do mental illness Research indicates Family Psychoeducation is now to make things better.  Master new ways to manage it very effective for individuals with serious and  Reduce tension and stress in the family persistent mental illness, including: Information and Education  Provide social support and  Schizophrenia encouragement  Major Depression During Joining Sessions and at the beginning  Focus on the future (instead of the of Multifamily Groups participants will learn past)  more about mental illness -causes, treatments,  Find ways for families and supporters  Borderline effective coping strategies etc. Topics will to help consumers in their recovery also cover normal family reactions to mental illness and explore family guidelines to help Families and supporters who would most likely Family Psychoeducation fosters feelings of make things run more smoothly. benefit are those in search of education and respect, trust, hope, and empowerment among support, with a desire to be an active partner in everyone involved in the treatment process, so a true partnership can be formed. People work the consumer’s recovery process. Supporters do not have to be family members and may Ongoing Multifamily Groups towards recovery by building better skills for overcoming everyday problems and illness even have a mental illness themselves. Multifamily Groups, facilitated by mental related issues, developing social support, and health practitioners, meet on the 2nd and 4th improving communication with treatment Family Psychoeducation is most effective with Mondays of each month at 6 pm. The groups providers. the involvement of both the consumer and their have problem-solving format where families, family and supporters. However, consumers consumers, and practitioners become partners The result is that consumers have markedly without active participation of their family and in learning how to best manage the mental fewer symptoms, higher success with supporters will also benefit. Similarly, if the illness. Whenever possible, we will also try to employment, and improved family consumer does not want to participate, family offer single-family groups to those who relationships, while families experience and supporters can still benefit from their request it. markedly lower stress and medical illness. involvement in Family Psychoeducation.