The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Clackamas County branch has added Portland State undergraduate student Jeanette Bailey to a team of volunteer directors conducting the upcoming Family-to-Family (F2F) 12-week course.
Bailey is a psychology major at PSU who plans to pursue her master’s degree in either psychiatric nursing or
social work.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Clackamas County branch has added Portland State undergraduate student Jeanette Bailey to a team of volunteer directors conducting the upcoming Family-to-Family (F2F) 12-week course.
Bailey is a psychology major at PSU who plans to pursue her master’s degree in either psychiatric nursing or
social work.
Founded in 1979, NAMI is a local nonprofit organization devoted to enhancing the lives of the mentally ill through education, support and outreach.
NAMI Clackamas County will be coordinating a free 12-week course this September geared toward educating the family members of people with mental illness.
Bailey contacted NAMI in July 2011 seeking volunteer opportunities through the grassroots family support group.
“Intrigued by this grassroots organization, I called the Clackamas County office and spoke with Elizabeth [Nestlerode, NAMI outreach and education director],” said Bailey. “As she explained the F2F program to me, in addition to all of the other wonderful programs NAMI has to offer, I fell in love with the organization. I filled out an application and interviewed with the Clackamas County office and left the interview awed and inspired by the hard work of so many self-sacrificing volunteers and workers.”
Nestlerode, a PSU graduate student in special education who will walk in this summer’s commencement ceremony, said that Bailey and NAMI are a good match.
“When she called, I could hear in her words a commitment to wanting to help, and I knew she was potentially a great fit,” said Nestlerode. “Within weeks of her start, we could see how lucky we are to have her support. In turn, Jeanette is getting a great opportunity to connect with family members and peers, which will help her as she moves forward in both her education and professional career in the mental health field.”
Nestlerode added that she herself suffers from bipolar disorder and other diagnoses.
In September of 2011, Bailey will start coordinating two education programs, Family-to-Family and Basics.
The latter is a brand-new program that concentrates on educating parents who care for a child or adolescent with severe mental illness, offering evidence-based classes taught by parents and other caretakers experienced in nurturing their own children.
“Her support allows the current volunteer, Patty Stafford, to take a less involved role in the Family-to-Family program so she can spend more time leading NAMI’s brand new Open Minds Art Studio,” said Michelle Veenker, project director at NAMI.
Bailey’s background in mental health stems mostly from personal experience, but NAMI will be her first professional position in the mental health avocation.
“I’m a caregiver to my grandmother who suffers from dementia, and I lived with a foster sister for a period of time who suffered from borderline personality disorder,” Bailey said. “As a family member caring for a loved one with a mental disorder, I understand how frustrating it can be to provide adequate care, and I’ve seen how deeply it takes a toll—not only on the individual who suffers with the mental illness, but also the family who are conflicted by their emotions of love, frustration and exhaustion.”
Bailey believes that mental health insurance coverage is lacking nationwide, creating financial hardship for the mentally ill and their families.
Along with a general lack of proper health-care support, Bailey believes that education and community backing—important factors that play into the life quality of the mentally ill—are often insufficient in today’s America.
“This is where NAMI steps in to provide a support system that’s free of charge to individuals and families who are many times already under a heavy financial burden,” Bailey said. “Mental health coverage through most insurance is lacking, putting the burden of cost onto the individuals and their families. Aside from the biology of mental illness itself, there are other important aspects that are often overlooked—such as community support and education.”
The F2F classes will be taking place in Milwaukie on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Sept. 27 through November 23, and in Wilsonville on Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Sept. 15 through Dec. 1.
For information or to register, call 503-344-0505 or email [email protected].
