NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is offering a Family-to-Family education course to relatives of those who are living with a mental illness. The class meets 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. for 11 consecutive Wednesdays beginning Jan. 9. The class and all materials are free.

Topics covered include signs and symptoms of mental illness, research on the brain, medications, treatment modalities, and strategies for handling crisis and relapse. Skill-building exercises in communication, problem-solving, empathy and self-care will be taught.

For more information and a testimonial video, go to NAMI.org/familytofamily.

Class size is limited and requires advance enrollment. To enroll, contact Tracy at (859) 536-8278 or tracy@namilex.org.

Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center seeks volunteers

The Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center, which provides a full range of free and confidential services that include a 24-hour crisis line, medical advocacy, and crisis counseling, is in need of volunteers in its 17-country service area. the center will offer winter volunteer training to anyone interested in helping from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 25, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 26, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 2 and 9.

Call (859) 253-2615 for information about becoming a volunteer. For more information, go to Bluegrassrapecrisis.org.

The Music Institute to host open house

The Music Institute will hold an open house for interested students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 9 in the The Music Institute piano lab inside of Trinity Hill United Methodist Church, 3600 Tates Creek Road. Beginning to intermediate level group piano classes for adults ages 50 and older are offered.

The institute's first session will begin week of Jan. 21, and a later session will begin the week of March 4. Each group piano class has a maximum of eight students and meets for an hour once a week for 14 weeks.

For more information about the classes and the open house, contact The Music Institute office, office@ musicforlexington.org, (859) 273-9991. For information and registration forms, go to Musicforlexington.org.

Health department offers smoking-cessation class

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is offering a class on the Cooper-Clayton Method, designed for people who want to stop smoking.

The 12-week class will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays beginning Jan. 23 at the Tates Creek Public Library, 3628 Walden Drive. The cost is $100.

For more information, call (859) 288-2457