NAMI Ask the Expert: How to Help Someone with Mental Illness Accept Treatment OD033

An on-demand video and transcript of the presentation are available here [opens in new tab].

About The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They are an alliance of more than 650 local Affiliates and 49 State organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education to people with mental illness and their loved ones. Through awareness, advocacy and education, NAMI is committed to building stronger communities and a better future for everyone affected by mental illness.

Course Summary

Practice Level: Intermediate

This course, based on the Ask the Expert webinar series by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), this course examines anosognosia (lack of awareness of illness) in serious mental illness and its impact on treatment engagement. It translates current evidence on insight, therapeutic alliance, and antipsychotic adherence—including the role of long-acting injectable medications—into practical strategies for clinicians and families. Learners are introduced to LEAP (Listen–Empathize–Agree–Partner), a relationship-centered, evidence-based communication approach to foster engagement without confrontation. Case examples and dialogue techniques illustrate how to reduce conflict, strengthen alliance, and partner toward voluntary care.

The course, with an intended audience of social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors, then presents evidence-based, relationship-centered strategies and psychopharmacology-adjacent guidance that align with scope of practice across behavioral health disciplines and can be applied in community, outpatient, acute, and family settings.

Course Format

This course contains a participant guide, practice test, and on-demand video. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe anosognosia in psychotic disorders and its relationship to treatment nonadherence.
2. Explain how therapeutic alliance and LEAP communication techniques support engagement without confrontation.
3. Distinguish between oral and long-acting injectable antipsychotic strategies as they relate to adherence and relapse prevention.

Course Syllabus

• Understanding Anosognosia and Insight
• Therapeutic Alliance as a Clinical Lever
• LEAP (Listen–Empathize–Agree–Partner) in Practice
• Optimizing Pharmacologic Engagement

Current References

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Publishing.

Amador, X. (2025). Assessment and treatment of anosognosia in schizophrenia. CNS Spectrums. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1092852925100412 [opens in new tab]

Amador, X. F., Strauss, D. H., Yale, S. A., & Gorman, J. M. (1991). Awareness of illness in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 17(1), 113–132. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/17.1.113 [opens in new tab]

Duckworth, K. (2022). You are not alone: The NAMI guide to navigating mental health—With advice from experts and wisdom from real people and families. Zando.

Gao, X., Wu, L., Jin, G., Yu, K., & Yu, X. (2025). Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on insight and stigma in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1655057. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1655057 [opens in new tab]

Keith, S. J., & Kane, J. M. (2003). Partial compliance and patient consequences in schizophrenia: Our patients can do better. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64(11), 1308–1315. https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/partial-compliance-patient-consequences-schizophrenia/[opens in new tab]

Manchado Perero, S., Rodríguez Lorente, A., García-Pérez, A., Isidro García, G., Forcen-Muñoz, L. A., Ovejero García, S., Sáez Povedano, R., González-Galdámez, A. L., Mata Iturralde, L., Ramírez Bonilla, M., Fuentes-Pérez, P., Ovejas-Catalán, C., Suárez-Pinilla, P., Fernández Abascal, B., Omaña Colmenares, M., Campos-Navarro, M. P., Baca-García, E., Lara Fernández, A., Benavente-López, S., … García-Carmona, J. A. (2025). Long-term effectiveness, adherence and safety of twice-yearly paliperidone-palmitate long-acting injectable in patients with schizophrenia in Europe: 2-year mirror-image data from the P2Y study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1540213.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1540213[opens in new tab]

Nilsson, L. S., Nordgaard, J., Henriksen, M. G., Parnas, J., & Rasmussen, A. R. (2025). Poor insight and self-disorders in schizophrenia: An empirical study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-025-02035-7[opens in new tab]

Oneib, B., Mansour, A., & Bouazzaoui, M. A. (2025). The effect of psychoeducation on clinical symptoms, adherence, insight and autonomy in patients with schizophrenia. Discover Mental Health, 5, Article 26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00152-2[opens in new tab]

Rummel-Kluge, C., Schuster, T., Peters, S., & Kissling, W. (2008). Partial compliance with antipsychotic medication is common in patients with schizophrenia. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42(5), 382–388. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048670801961107[opens in new tab]

Instructors

Xaiver Amador, Ph.D.

Xaiver Amador, Ph.D.Founder & Director of The LEAP Institute Visiting Professor at the State University of New York Adjunct Professor in Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Utah

Website: https://www.leapinstitute.org/

Dr. Amador is an internationally renowned clinical psychologist and leader in his field. His books, published clinical research, worldwide speaking tours and extensive work in schizophrenia, bipolar and other disorders have been translated into 30 languages. He is also the CEO of the Henry Amador Center on Anosognosia and a family caregiver of two close relatives with serious mental illness.

Author of many popular books including I am Right, You’re Wrong, Now What?; I am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!; and, When Someone You Love is Depressed: How to help without losing yourself; Dr. Amador draws on thirty years of experience as a therapist, his personal story, and published scientific research when giving advice.

His work as a leading individual, family, child and couples’ therapist has been featured on PBS NOVA, ABC Prime Time Live, and NBC Bravo where he has been filmed doing psychotherapy with couples and individuals.

His expertise has been called upon by government, industry and the broadcast and print media where he has appeared as a frequent expert for CNN, ABC News, NBC News, NBC Today Show Fox News Channel, CBS 60 Minutes, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Cosmo, Wall Street Journal and many other national and international news outlets.

He is the Founder of the LEAP Institute.

Nicole Errickson, LCSW

Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Georgia. She brings over 19 years experience in the social work field, primarily working in school systems as a school social worker and with the McKinney-Vento grant. Over her career, Nicole has had several opportunities to help develop and execute professional development events. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/08/2024–08/08/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 general continuing education credits.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.