School district to offer free mental health sessions for adults

LASINGBURGH, N.Y. >> Parents and caregivers in the Lansingburgh Central School District will soon be able to participate in a free course on mental health, according to a news release from the district.

District officials said they are collaborating with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in an effort to assist District families affected by mental health.

According to the news release, starting on January 14, 2019, LCSD and NAMI are offering NAMI Basics, a free sixsession course for parents and caregivers of students with symptoms of mental illness developed before age 13.

Officials said the courses are part of LCSD’s ongoing trauma-informed approach to education.

“A trauma- informed approach involves creating socially and emotionally safe environments where our students can learn and succeed. Many of our students come to school harboring stress in their current lives and traumatic experiences in their past. Because of this, we focus on changing how we interact with them to accommodate their unique needs,” said LCSD Superintendent, Cynthia DeDominick in the release.

The release said that the session will be held in small group settings at Turnpike Elementary, participants in NAMI Basics connect face-to-face with other LCSD parents and caregivers dealing with similar mental health care concerns.

Unique to NAMI Basics, officials said instructors teach from lived experiences and not only academia about what participants are going through.

The course is free for all LCSD parents and caregiv- ers, but is limited to 20 participants through advanced registration using the contact below. Sessions meet once per week over six weeks (dates below). • January 14, 2019 • January 28, 2019 • February 4, 2019 • February 11, 2019 • February 25, 2019 • March 4, 2019