Fear, anger, loneliness and confusion are all emotions often associated with people with mental illness. But those emotions can run just as strongly in loved ones and caregivers.

An educational course beginning next week aims to give family members the tools and support to cope with the challenges of caring for those with mental illness. The free course, called Family-to-Family, is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Cape Cod and will be held in Vineyard Haven.