Mental Health Awareness Webinar

NAMI Chicago's Director of Training & Education, Kasey Franco, leads our discussionon the importance of wellness, especially in the face of uncertainty.

In this 1.5 hour virtual training, NAMI Chicago's Director of Training & Education, Kasey Franco, will discuss the importance of wellness, especially in the face of uncertainty. Kasey will be followed by Frederick Nitsch, who will share his story of mental health recovery. Frederick is an artist who also spends his time volunteering with NAMI Chicago.

The agenda will be as follows:

1. Understanding the Recovery Model Framework
2. Managing COVID-19 and other stressors related to uncertainty
3. Recognizing warning signs
4. How to be supportive to others
5. Creating your own wellness plan exercise
6. Story Sharing - Frederick Nitsch, Artist & NAMI Chicago Ambassador

Kasey Franco, Director Of Training & Education
Kasey Franco joined NAMI Chicago as Training and Education Coordinator in February of 2017, assuming the role of Director of Training and Education in the summer of 2019. Kasey oversees and executes NAMI Chicago’s mental health training and education programming, and collaborates with community organizations, first responder agencies, and workplaces to open conversations around fighting mental health stigma and fostering wellness.

After earning her Master’s, Kasey led recovery-oriented programming for at-risk young women in Chicago public schools. She then went onto join Riveredge Hospital as a Legal Case Manager and Discharge Planner for registered male sex-offenders, providing counseling, psychosocial assessments, in-court advocacy, and coordinating discharge on behalf of her clients for 5 years.

Kasey is originally from the Bay Area of California. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Northern Arizona University with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Kasey is driven to build a community that not only says it’s okay to prioritize wellness, but knows the value of wellness and its impact on our lives.

Frederick Walter Nitsch, Artist
Frederick has a BA in philosophy (Boston University, 2006) and pursued graduate study of the same at Loyola University before leaving his combined MA/PhD program for mental health reasons in 2011. He now works part-time for a mental health nonprofit, doing outreach and education at high schools around Chicago and assisting with trainings for the city’s first responders. Frederick lives and paints in Rogers Park, where he has been for 13 years. Frederick is also an active member of Chicago’s improv comedy community.