NAMI 101 and Beyond will be the theme of the Aug. 21 meeting of the Laurens County affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Christian Life Center of Clinton’s First Presbyterian Church and the presentation will be given by long time NAMI activist, Michelle Ready of Seneca.

Ready’s introduction to NAMI came in 2002 when she took NAMI’s Family-to-Family course after learning that a family member was suffering from a mental illness.

A registered nurse, Ready says that “The knowledge I gained from the course, as well as the support I received from others in the organization, inspired me to become a volunteer with NAMI.”

In the years since her introduction to NAMI, Ready has taught Family-to-Family courses and trained leaders for the program throughout the state. In addition she has been a facilitator for family support groups and has served as President of the Anderson-Oconee-Pickens NAMI and as a member of the Board of Directors of NAMI of South Carolina.

In 2004, Ready was named the NAMI S.C. Volunteer of the Year. Subsequently she was inducted into NAMI National’s Hall of Fame for Family-to- Family and again, in 2011, she was inducted into NAMI National’s Hall of Fame for Provider Education and Family Support Group Facilitator.

A graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina’s School of Nursing, Ready is on the Citizen’s Advisory Board at Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric Hospital. She is the mother of a daughter and a son and her hobbies include cake decorating, scrapbooking, card making and “organizing the homes of friends.”

The meeting is open to the public and is free of charge.

Preceding the educational meeting two confidential support groups will meet at 6 p.m., also in the Christian Life Center at Clinton’s First Presbyterian Church. The Family Support Group is open to caregivers and family members of persons with mental illness and is led by a trained facilitator. For more information about this support group, or for directions, phone 833-1812.

NAMI Connection is a recovery support group for persons who live with the challenges of mental illness. A trained facilitator also leads this group. For more information call 864-684-7628.