Welcome to the Consumer Centered Family Consultation “Beyond the 1 st CCFC” Webinar PART 2 Hosted by: The Family Institute for Education, Practice & Research For any technical difficulties, please contact: Sherri Ladd at

Agenda Hello and Welcome CCFC - Meetings 2, 3, 4 and 5 Problem Solving Referring Teaching Training Other Wrap-up

Beyond the 1 st CCFC Meeting To what extent are additional meetings planned to address each consumer’s recovery goals?

Examples of tasks and activities to do during the 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th CCFC meetings

Problem-Solving Use a structured problem-solving method to help everyone attain their wants, needs & goals. This is also ideal for addressing obstacles, conflicts and/or misunderstandings… or generally when “people are not on the same page”

Overview: Problem Solving Process  6-step process borrowed from the business community  Helps to organize potentially emotionally laden material into a step- by-step, sequential process  Allows the consumer, family, and others to talk about and explore details in the decision making process  Assist all the parties involved with devising a plan of action to address a problem or challenging situation  Solve problems in a systematic way can lead to better outcomes

How to Introduce the Problem Solving Process Tell everyone about the process Most people want to know “what can we do?” or “what should we do?” – here’s a way to help that’s proven to work Evidence based – lots of research Some of the most challenging problems can be broken down into pieces and addressed Suggest that the problem solving process can help everyone in the family/system. Ask if people want to set aside a CCFC meeting for problem solving.

Referring Explain services that will help everyone attain their goals and offer to help plan the most efficient means of accessing other services. Part of the CCFC can involve a follow-up meeting to see how the connection with other services is going, whether a successful “linkage” has occurred, etc.

NAMI Family-to-Family Education NAMI can be an important partner and resource for families. NAMI education classes are designed to educate and inform people about serious mental illness. There is now evidence that NAMI’s Family-to-Family Education Program helps people in many different ways.

Teaching Present information about serious mental illness targeted to the consumer’s expressed wants and goals in a concise, understandable format. This involves setting aside at least one additional CCFC meeting to conduct a brief didactic session about mental illness, coping skills, relapse prevention literature, etc. [Note: often teaching is conducted with the goal of leading to problem solving or assisting with changes in family interactions, family support strategies, etc.]

Some Goals of Teaching Families Provide information about the illness Provide a rationale for treatment Reduce guilt and blame of all involved Foster realistic expectations and hope Discuss role(s) that families/supports can have in promoting recovery Improve access to services Other?

Skills Training Offer skills training that will help satisfy their needs, wants and goals using evidence- supported behavioral management methods The following situation is quite rare (in our opinion): a family/supports is familiar with the research about mental illness, and knows exactly what to do, and when to do it, to assist their loved one in the exact way that will be helpful given the consumer’s stage of recovery and be “in line with” what the consumer wants and/or is willing to accept. Take Home Message: Skills training is often needed.

Background: Family attitudes/skills that are associated with positive psychosis outcomes Accepting the person as having psychosis Attribute symptoms to the condition Set realistic, attainable goals Include the person in the family Provide support from a loving distance Maintain a calm family atmosphere Give frequent praise and encouragement Give specific constructive criticism and/or suggestions to promote growth Source: Amenson, C. S. Schizophrenia – Family Education Methods (copyright Pacific Clinics Institute)

These family factors are teachable skills

The Family Guidelines Family Guidelines – Sources: Carol Anderson, Schizophrenia and the Family (Guilford Press, 1986); Dr. William McFarlane, Multi-Family Groups in the Treatment of Severe Psychiatric Disorders (Guilford Press, September 2004).

Family Guidelines: Background Carol Anderson (1986) & William McFarlane (2004) Roots: Biology of schizophrenia Integrated into formal family psychoeducation since mid- to late-1980s Evidence based: Combine Family Guidelines with a problem-solving process Most helpful: Introduce Guidelines to family/consumer, then help family implement them (ideal) Family Guidelines – Sources: Carol Anderson, Schizophrenia and the Family (Guilford Press, 1986); Dr. William McFarlane, Multi-Family Groups in the Treatment of Severe Psychiatric Disorders (Guilford Press, September 2004).

Please let us know if you’re interested in future archived training modules (such as this one) with more detail about how to: - Provide family education during meetings - Use the problem solving process - Use the Family Guidelines - Make effective referrals to NAMI

Thank you for viewing this webinar Please consider joining the follow-up event planned for the purposes of discussing these issues further with the Family Institute team