Class teaches parents to cope with children’s mental illness

Janet Emerick-Foster calls it the "Dennis the Menace" effect.

Like they did with the popular cartoon character, other adults would shy away from her son. They didn’t know how to deal with his sometimes erratic and difficult behavior.

What they didn’t understand, Foster said, is how his aggression came from a mental illness beyond anyone’s control. It was easier for them to judge both parent and child, to cast them aside and out of sight.

NAMI Basics consists of six classes, each 2½ hours long and offered weekly. They are specially designed for parents and caregivers of children with mental illnesses.

By George Plaven

Full Story: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2009/12/10/area/hjjaihjahghcij.txt