The course provides family caretakers with education about mental health conditions, skills workshops, and information about available resources. The NAMI Family-to-Family curriculum includes:

  • Information about mental health conditions and treatments
  • Coping skills, handling crisis and relapse, local and national resources
  • Listening and communication techniques
  • Problem solving, limit setting, self-care

Most importantly, the course offers family members the invaluable opportunity of open conversation and mutual support in a stigma-free environment. Course participants, now more than 400,000 people nationwide, find that the Family-to-Family experience empowers them to understand and pursue paths toward healthy recovery for their loved ones, their families, and themselves.

Program Leaders

Tamari Cole NAMI Western Mass

My name is Tamari Cole, and my experiences as a mother of three and grandmother of eight have profoundly shaped my commitment to mental health advocacy. These experiences, coupled with navigating the mental health challenges of loved ones, ignited a deep desire to support others long before I assumed the presidency of NAMI-WM.

Throughout my life, I have actively engaged in advocacy. This has included volunteering at Safe Passage, mentoring young single mothers pursuing higher education, and serving as the first Latina American student senator and trustee at HCC. During my time in college, I was also honored to be named to the National State Student Alliance. I have consistently sought to be a voice for the underserved, offering support and encouragement to those facing adversity.

My professional qualifications include certifications as a Crisis Advocate, and in "In Our Own Voice," "Share Your Story," and "Family to Family" (both English and Spanish). I am also a certified peer-to-peer support specialist and a certified phlebotomist.

Helping others has always been a core element of my life, and this dedication reflects who I am. I hope this provides you with a comprehensive overview of my background and experience. I welcome the opportunity to connect further.

Bonnie Pueschel NAMI Western Mass

Bonnie Pueschel --- a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, retired teacher, medical secretary and office manager. Having had many years living with my Mom and our two sons, who suffered with behavioral issues brings some insight into the disease. She has been an active member of NAMI-WM for over 27 years, taught the Family-to-Family class for over 8 years, volunteers in the office, helps with the Iris Project, journeyed many Walkathons and have participated with a NAMI Family Support Group. Bonnie has seen the miracles of maintenance with proper meds, family support and how NAMI has affected lives - all in positive ways!

Having some experience sitting in on the ‘Friends of the Granby Seniors’ Board, held several positions on the Board for my local church and worked as an office manager for Adcare Outpatient Services she hopes to bring some positive contributions to the NAMI-WM Board.

Registrant Information

We ask that all interested participants, even from the same family, register individually for this course. Registration will be limited to those that have officially registered.

This in an 8 week course. The materials are copyrighted and should not be copied or duplicated. We ask that you try your best not to miss more than 1-2 classes to get the full benefit. Missing more than 2 classes could result in being ineligible to receive a completion certificate at the end of this course.

To ensure you, and all other students, receive the best experience from this course, full participation from everyone is expected. We ask that all interested participants (even from the same family) register individually for this course. Attendance will be limited to those that have registered.
To maximize participant and program leader wellness, NAMI Mass has outlined the following mandatory guidelines for any in-person NAMI program activities:
● Program participants must either be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to attend in-person programming OR they must wear a mask for the entire program. Participants will attest to their vaccination status at the time of program registration.
● All people present at the program or event must be COVID-asymptomatic, regardless of their current test results.
● All program participants should wait at least 7 days from a positive COVID-19 test before returning to in-person events.
● Program participants must agree to notify NAMI Mass if they are quarantined due to a COVID-19 exposure that occurred less than one week prior to the group meeting.
● All people present at the program or event, regardless of their vaccination status, may choose to wear a mask while at the program venue, including the time before, during, and after the event.
● Masks are not required for in-person programming unless a consensus is reached by the individuals present that they would like the group to continue wearing masks.
● All people present may choose and should be able to maintain no less than three feet of social distance while at the program venue.
● NAMI Mass encourages any immunocompromised individuals who choose to participate in NAMI Mass in-person programs or events to wear face masks and maintain social distancing.
● Any attendee who is unwilling or unable to adhere to the above guidelines should be promptly removed from the venue.

Emergency Contact Information

After submitting your registration form, one of the program leaders will be in contact with you shortly regarding the next steps in the registration process.

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