New Support Group Joins Tri-County Efforts

Tri-County Mental Health Services offers many programs, including professional care and support, but none may be more important than the wide range of meetings and support groups hosted each month.

The newest to join the offerings is the family support group organized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The group, which emphasizes peer support, meets at Tri-County Mental Health Services the third Wednesday of each month  in the lobby conference room at Tri-County, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Jamie Wehmeyer, director of assessment and youth programs, said the monthly meetings are designed for family members and significant others of persons with severe and persistent mental illness. “The sessions are informal and offer strong support among participants,” she said. “It is a support group in the fullest sense.”

Tri-County also hosts its own, monthly family support meeting on the first Wednesday of each month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Slightly more structured, the Tri-County sessions also feature guest speakers on topics ranging from medications to legal issues. Time is also set aside for family discussion and support.

Tri-County also hosts the monthly Aging and Mental Health Coalition of Kansas City North. This group, open to the public but designed especially for caregivers, meets the fourth Thursday of each month in the upstairs conference room. Coalition programs feature guest speakers and programs on topics ranging from end-of-life issues to “the holiday blues,” with an emphasis on practical help that can be used by nursing home employees or church volunteers.

Still other meetings occur when needed. Ranging from Tri-County affiliate groups for the award winning Northland Coalition to Youth with Vision, these efforts also include public meetings public issues and programs.

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