Families often enter the mental health system during moments of uncertainty and crisis, learning how care works while trying to support a loved one’s safety, dignity, and well-being. This session navigates schizophrenia, crisis response, and recovery, led by a parent of two young adult sons whose paths through the mental health system have been very different.

Participants will gain insight into how families experience mental health care in real time, particularly during crisis response, hospitalizations, and care transitions. The session explores common gaps families encounter and explains how learning to navigate these systems can strengthen continuity of care and reduce repeated crises.

This session offers encouragement to families who may still be finding their footing, while also providing perspective to providers, advocates, and peers seeking to strengthen family-centered, recovery-oriented support.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify common challenges families face during crisis response and care transitions
2. Recognize how collaboration among families, providers, and community support systems can improve continuity of care
3. Understand how system navigation and local resources impact access to mental health services
4. Reflect on how dignity, connection, and shared responsibility support recovery for individuals and families