Family Support Group – Guest Speakers Bradley & Vanessa
2131 Park Ave W #200, Ontario, OH 44906, USA
Oct 11, 2025, 11:00 am – Oct 11, 2025, 12:00 pm
NAMI - Richland County
NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences. This month, we’ll be hearing from Vanessa and her son, Bradley, who lives with schizoaffective disorder. Bradley’s Schizoaffective illness, from the ages of 11 to 26, turned him into a virtual boomerang, he was in and out of the Hospital so much; and at that time, he had many negative interactions with police. Until the AOT Program, and NAMI, entered his life in 2019. Now, he has gone 6 years with no hospital visits, and zero bad run-ins with the police. Come and learn how the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program, and NAMI, helped Bradley and his mother, Vanessa, to overcome the revolving door of illness relapse, to improve their quality of life, and to heal their relationship as mother and son. As Bradley’s caregiver, for years, Vanessa felt like she was treading water, trying not to drown Bradley or herself. She felt isolated and afraid to talk to anyone because mental health has a stigma. She was his only voice and I didn’t always get it right, but she had to fight for him. Vanessa is thrilled to see help groups for families and caregivers. Our in-person Family group meets at NAMI Richland County! We are in Suite 200 of our building – look for a door with our logo on it and “200” written above it! We will provide pastries and drinks for our group. If you have any dietary restrictions, please call 419-522-6264, ext. 3 or email Laura@NAMIrc.org at least 24 hours in advance and we will do our best to accommodate your needs! NAMI’s support groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need. – Free of cost to participants – Designed for adults (18+) with mental health conditions – Led by peers with mental health conditions – No specific medical therapy or treatment is endorsed – Confidential