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Family Psychoeducation

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Pine RestCommunity Services & OutreachFamily Psychoeducation

Family Phychoeducation

Helping families better understand mental illness while working together toward recovery

Family Psychoeducation (FPE) is an approach designed to help families, support persons and individuals with a mental illness better understand mental illness while working together towards recovery. It is available to individuals with Medicaid who are being served by a a Case Management Agency in Kent County. It is an evidenced-based practice with many benefits for those who’ve participated in FPE including:

 

  • Less time in the hospital
  • Decreased sense of stigma
  • A feeling of better control over life
  • Fewer symptoms
  • Less isolation
  • More involvement in family life & social activities
  • Better job success
  • Less depression & anxiety

How Can FPE Help my Family?

 

FPE is not family therapy, which views the family as the object of treatment. In the FPE approach, the illness is the object of treatment. Consumers and family members learn about mental illness and together with the practitioners work to support recovery.

Research shows that educated families are better able to …

  • Recognize warning signs and prevent or minimize relapses
  • Support treatment goals and promote recovery
  • Manage or reduce stress in response to mental illness
  • Improve communication and coping skills
  • Strengthen family relationships and well-being
  • Reduce feelings of confusion and isolation
  • Reduce medical illnesses and use of medical care
  • Increases consumers’ participation in vocational rehab programs

Must You Be a Family Member?

You do NOT need to be a family member to participate in FPE. You must only be willing to be supportive of the person with mental illness. Friends, other relatives and even neighbors can be helpful.

The Three Phases of FPE

Introductory Sessions

Family members meet individually or together with a clinician to develop a relationship.

Sessions focus on troubling symptoms and the daily routine.

Educational Workshop

Families come together to learn basics of mental illness and learn how to work together toward recovery.

Problem-Solving Groups

Learn how to deal with problems in a practical, step-by-step manner. Groups meet every two weeks for the first few months followed by a personalized meeting schedule.

Our Location

Community Case Management
320 Commerce SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.258.7599

Hours

Monday through Friday:
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

For more details about FPE, please contact your case manager at a network180 provider agency or call the Pine Rest Community Case Management program at 616.258.7599.