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Psychoeducation

Essentials
image showing a book titled 'Psychoeducation' next to a wooden head with jigsaw puzzle pieces inside, highlighting resources for education, training, and support tailored for individuals and families affected by severe mental illness

Find SMI resources to learn what you most need to know and places to connect with others
for support related to specific needs and diagnoses.

What are the key resources related to SMI? 

Knowing more about severe mental illness and how to help yourself or someone else with SMI is challenging and can be frustrating. These are resources to support your learning and help you find solidarity and support.

TAC provides a resource with more about what advocacy means and how to approach an advocacy project, whether your goal is to help a specific person or to impact system change.

Throughout the Joan C. Scott Community Resource Center, TAC provides family-friendly information on SMI topics.

Here are starter essentials:

National resources are available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA’s Serious Mental Illness Training and Technical Assistance Center (SMI TTAC) provides an online form to request individualized support.

To find treatment based on an address in any state, search findtreatment.gov. For services in Spanish, visit EncuentraApoyo.gov. 

Education about psychiatric illnesses and personal advocacy 

TAC Advocacy Navigator: This program supports basic knowledge on key SMI topics, including how to seek treatment, psychosis and anosognosia, civil and criminal courts, emergency planning, privacy laws, and more. To be on an interest list for a future training, please email advocacy@tac.org.

NAMI Family to Family: This free, eight-session training from the National Alliance on Mental illness (NAMI) offers psychoeducation for family caregivers. The national website directs you to a local affiliate to seek in person or virtual training opportunities.

NAMI Peer-to-Peer: This free, eight-session educational program is for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery.

The LEAP Institute: Offers videos, books, and training about a specific motivational interviewing strategy called LEAP® (listen, empathize, agree, partner), designed by Dr. Xaviar Amador. Amador’s book, “I Am Not Sick I Don’t Need Help!” demystifies anosognosia, a symptom that prevents self-awareness of illness, and provides practical communication tools.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Informed Caring for Families: NAMI Marin County provides free online training videos featuring Dr. Douglas Turkington, a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and founding fellow of the Faculty of Cognitive Therapy in Philadelphia. Turkington has published numerous articles and books about the use of CBT for psychosis (CBTp). He also partners with University of Washington Spirit Lab, which offers CBTp training for care partners—family and friends supporting someone with an SMI. 

Mental Health First Aid: This is a beginner course designed to help recognize and respond to someone in a mental health or substance use crisis. MHFA offers general information and isn’t designed for people directly caring for someone with SMI.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: This online resource supports learning about what to do if someone you love is at risk for suicide and how to have honest conversations. The site includes information about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 

Networking

TAC Family Support Group: This private Facebook group is a community of people caring for loved ones with SMI.

CureSZ Foundation Friendsz program: Mentor program pairs caregivers of those newly diagnosed with schizophrenia with others who have walked a similar journey alongside a loved one.   

National Shattering Silence Coalition: NSSC provides a variety of guidebooks, including those specifically for caregivers, in addition to its advocacy work.

Mental Health America Center for Peer Support: In addition to its policy work and community education programs, MHA offers peer training and support for people in recovery to walk alongside those still seeking recovery.

NAMI Support Groups: The national site guides you to local support group options for individuals and family members. 

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Wellness tools and educational resources are offered alongside options for virtual and in person support groups.

Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance: S&PAA offers in-person and virtual support, in addition to engaging care partners in advocacy work to impact system change. 

Stop Walking on Eggshells: This network is for family and loved ones of people diagnosed with borderline and/or narcissistic personality disorders, or for people who have these conditions comorbid with others.  

Co-dependents Anonymous: Although not specifically related to SMI, CoDA offers support for those seeking to develop healthy boundaries and to change toxic patterns within complicated relationships.

Do you know of other resources for information or support that you believe we should include here? Reach out to our family resource team to make a recommendation by sending an email to advocacy@tac.org. 

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