Family Education

The purpose of Family Education is to provide families with information and skills in managing a family member's severe mental illness. 

Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center (MPC) considers families a vital resource in the treatment and rehabilitation of persons having a severe mental illness. The Family Education Program is designed to focus on building collaborative relationships with families and MPC treatment staff so that families receive education and information that can assist them in managing the many needs of a severely mentally ill relative. 

The stress and burden of caring for a mentally ill relative can be enormous and have devastating effects on families. To assist in alleviating this stress, MPC under the sponsorship of the Patient/Family Education Team and the Social Work Department, have developed a program providing education regarding severe mental illness and treatment, development of coping and stress management skills, community resources, support groups and other topics requested by family members. This is an evolving program designed to meet the needs of families and any input from families will be greatly appreciated. After all, families are the ones having the most knowledge of what is needed to effectively manage this illness. 

The program is four weeks long with two hour classes facilitated by social workers. The classes begin on the first Tuesday of each month. Instructors include psychiatrists, pharmacists, psychologists, and social workers. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) members will be available for education on family support groups.