Regarding the request for info from the Family Caregivers Network about
train-the-trainer programs for family members of people with mental
illnesses:

A combination of folks from Schizophrenia Society and Depression Manic
Depression Family Group  in Ottawa formed a group called Family to
Family and applied for and received money from Ont. Ministry of Health to
implement  NAMI's Family to Family program which is based on the
"Journey of Hope" program developed by the Louisiana Alliance for the
Mentally Ill.  My understanding of the program is that part one is what you
describe - an intensive weekend education session, after which
participants return to their home communitities to teach the 12 week
course.

The Ottawa groupimplemented part one last fall/winter. The contact
person for the group is Judi Rollo. You should be able to reach her
through CMHA - Ottawa-Carleton Branch. She is (or was) on the
executive of the DMD Association (I understand it's now called the Mood
Disorders Assn) of Ottawa Carleton. If you are calling CMHA
Ottawa-Carleton, the staff person associated with that group is Renee
Ouimet.

However, there was a second part to the program, which I hear is not
available through NAMI. The second part is training for support group
facilitation - there is a structure for support groups and a process in
which participants are trained so that they may go on to facilitate support
groups. Participants in the facilitation training include current leaders of
self-help groups, and people who have taken the 12 week course and
are interested in developing a group. I hear that NAMI does have a
second component similar to the one developed by the Louisiana group,
but it has not been tested and evaluated as thoroughly as the original
program.

The Ottawa Family to Family group approached me to submit a proposal to
offer a facilitation training, which I did. However, my training is strictly in
generic facilitation skills, not in how to structure a group in a tried and
tested approach. I have not heard anything from them so I'm not sure
where they are at now. I have since left Ottawa.

The Ottawa group may know if there are any similar programs available.

Good luck.