The Military Family: NAMI Homefront Program aims to help navigate mental health challenges

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- From the outside, the Bloise Family lived an adventurous life: husband Jim's career as an Army Corps of Engineers took the family of five to far-reaching places -- the east and west coasts, Europe. 

But on the inside, the family had endured hurdles, magnified by move after move.

"It was a lot of fun, at first, until it got real," said wife, Jane Bloise.  "I was trying to work on getting degrees and found out I had to wait a year to get residency.  That followed me around for the whole 20 years."

One of the Bloise's three boys also had Autism, a diagnosis that was delayed for years, due to new orders and new doctors.  As a result, according to Jane, that son developed serious mental health problems.

Their family, though, found the life raft that helped them cope: the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

"Once we found our way to NAMI, we haven't looked back," said Jane. 

First, she took one of the organization's classes, then Jim joined. 

"It was the first time we had talked about some of the horrific things that our son had gone through. We had never spoken those outside our family."

The class, geared specifically for military families, gave them tools to navigate communication challenges, manage crises, and educate them on various diagnoses, medications, and therapies.

The Bloises are such believers in the evidence-based curriculum, that the couple went through training to become peer educators with NAMI's Homefront Program. 

"We talk about what they were trained to do, and how that does not transition to the civilian life," said Jane.

"To admit that you have depression problems after going overseas a lot or you're struggling with your family -- there's a stigma that you're maybe going to lose your clearance, and you might, or you'll maybe get discharged with a medical discharge.  But they're looking for tools, they're fighting," acknowledged Jim. 

NAMI's six-week-long Homefront Program is free and confidential.  For those who are unable to attend in person, the class is offered virtually.

The next Homefront class begins on January 30, and registration is required.

For more information, visit NAMI Colorado Springs, or call 719-473-8477 and ask for Angela Sweeten.