I participated in two events this week: 1) Fulton County, Georgia Commissioner's meeting and 2) Mental Health Day at the Capitol orchestrated by Behavioral Health Services Coalition.
I spoke at the Commissioner's meeting yesterday to advocate in favor of the Peer Program at South Fulton Mental Health Center in East Point, Georgia. The county wants to close the Peer Program, and myself and other peers spoke against this consideration.
Today, I attended Mental Health Day at the Capitol and distributed business cards to introduce my non-profit organization, Embracing My Mind, Inc. The program discussed advance directives, Georgia's budget, children and adolescents with mental health concerns, a personal story, and an overview of Olmstead.
Advance Directives are plans for consumers in the event they cannot make decisions on their own, it is kind of like a crisis plan that describes medications desired to get well again, and who may make decisions on behalf of the consumer.
A statistic I remember about children and adolescents with mental health concerns is the average age of onset is 14. This does not surprise me, in fact, I thought the age would be younger.
Overall, I enjoyed the program and networking. Also, my groups are going very well.
To my new followers (anyone who started following this blog since January 2010) I am glad that we found each other, I hope you learn something new about schizophrenia and if you have any questions related to it feel free to ask me. I appreciate all of my readers, thank you!
To learn more about schizophrenia visit Embracing My Mind, Inc., NAMI, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (Canada).
My name is Ashley. I started this blog in 2008 to record learning experiences, coping skills, and life as it relates to schizophrenia. In the beginning, it was my sister's idea to start this blog, I did not know what to expect. However, I've journalled since childhood so it was therapuetic to articulate thoughts and feelings online and to get a response. I take medication to treat my illness, however, I am not opposed to alternative forms of treatment. Here is my story...
The Author
- Ashley Smith
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- I was diagnosed with adult onset paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 20... I experienced the ups and downs of mental illness- incarceration, hospitalization, personal care home, outpatient treatment program and clubhouse- but i survived it! Now, I share my life with you of how I am coping with my illness. I hope this blog encourages you to seek PROFESSIONAL help for yourself or a loved one... Please comment. Thank you!
1 comment:
Great work your doing. I just started a blog about my struggle with schizophrenia, you should visit it and tell me what you think. dustindemoss.com
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