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Biography

Ashley Smith is an advocate, author, and speaker. In 2008, she established the Overcoming Schizophrenia blog, which offers her candid journey of recovery. The blogger self-published her first book, What’s On My Mind? A Collection of Blog Entries from Overcoming Schizophrenia, Volume I (2014). The book’s foreword was written by Christina Bruni who is an author, journalist, and schizophrenia expert. Recently, a popular review recognized Ashley’s blog among the “Top 20 Schizophrenia Blogs and Websites to Follow in 2019.” 

In 2019, Ashley wrote the foreword to The Voices Behind Mental Illness, Pain, Positioning, & Purpose, by Venessa Abram, MBA. Ashley’s recovery story was highlighted in the news with WGXA News Anchor Nakell Williams, and Fox 24 in Georgia (February 14, 2019). 

Moreover, Ashley’s story was one of three featured in Janssen Pharmaceuticals documentary, Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery (2011). The advocate’s story was also featured on CNN: Human Factor with Sanjay Gupta, BET Health Heroes, and on the Tavis Smiley Show. 

Ashley is a trained speaker of the Respect Institute of Georgia. She spoke at many mental health conferences. One her talks was at the annual conference of Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2010. In 2011, Ashley spoke at the Sunlight Village Mental Health Conference in Dayton, Ohio, which was sponsored by the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. 

Furthermore, Ashley was one of the keynote speakers for the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN) annual conference, in 2014. The GMHCN hosts the largest peer-led mental health conference in the southeast, and provided a complimentary copy of Ashley’s book, What’s On My Mind? Volume I, to every attendee. 

Ashley is a former board member, and state trainer for NAMI Georgia, Inc. Ashley was a NAMI “In Our Own Voice” presenter, and shared her recovery story in several Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training classes for law enforcement. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which is the largest grass roots mental health advocacy organization in the United States. These are some of Ashley’s accolades with NAMI:

• NAMI Georgia’s Peer-to-Peer Mentor of the Year Award (2010)
• NAMI In Our Own Voice Hall of Fame (2013)
• NAMI In Our Own Voice Hall of Fame (2014)

Currently, Ashley partakes in CURESZ Foundation Advisory Council. Finally, Ashley is a mother of one, and resides in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more about Ashley Smith, visit her blog at overcomingschizophrenia.blogspot.com.   

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