Valerie Dalton
Charging Forward: Choices in Recovery
By
May 7, 2008 - 9:53:44 AM

On Tuesday, April 29, an exciting conference took place in Chesterfield County for mental health care consumers.  “Charging Forward: Choices in Recovery” was a free conference hosted by Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services for approximately 200 mental health care consumers and their family members.

With a focus on helping mental health care consumers recover, the conference offered a variety of unique, informative, and inspirational workshops.  One program focused on helping consumers learn about advocacy and fighting stigma.  This program was facilitated by VOCAL (The Virginia Organization of Consumers Asserting Leadership) and helped participants to learn about self advocacy, system advocacy, and how to fight for their rights as mental health care consumers.  To learn more about VOCAL, please visit their website at www.vocalnetwork.org.

Wellness Recovery Action Planning (also known as W.R.A.P.), a plan developed by Mary Ellen Copeland, a leader in the mental health recovery effort, was the focus of another workshop.  Designed to help consumers to be proactive in planning for those uncertain circumstances that might occur during their recovery, participants learned how to put together a W.R.A.P.  For more information about W.R.A.P., please visit www.mentalhealthrecovery.com.

Another workshop focused on the history of the Mental Health Recovery Movement, how the recovery movement started, and where it is today.  It also encouraged participants to get involved in this exciting and powerful movement.

Personal stories of three individuals who are recovering from mental illnesses were also shared during the conference.  These powerful stories of recovery offered hope and inspiration to everyone in attendance.  Additionally, this workshop helped consumers learn how to share their personal stories in order to help others.  Another workshop called “So you want to be a peer specialist” was offered to help participants learn how to share their personal experience of recovery in order to help others who have mental illnesses work towards recovery.  The steps of becoming a peer specialist were shared during this workshop.

I was honored to have been the keynote speaker for this conference.  My presentation began by focusing on several individuals with serious mental illnesses who have made significant and meaningful contributions to our world.  Three of the individuals mentioned were Dr. John Nash (recovering from paranoid schizophrenia), Dr. Temple Grandin (recovering from autism), and President George W. Bush (recovering from alcoholism) who called for the creation of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.  

I also discussed the vision of The New Freedom Commission on Mental Health which is: “We envision a future when everyone with a mental illness will recover, a future when mental illnesses can be prevented and cured, a future when mental illnesses are detected early, and a future when everyone with a mental illness at any stage of life has access to effective treatment and supports- essentials for living, learning, and participating fully in the community.”

In order to realize this vision, there will be many challenges and opportunities for mental health care consumers, their family members, and the mental health care professionals who work in this field.  I presented my perspective on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for each of these groups of individuals.  One thing’s for sure; with efforts like this conference, we’re moving closer to realizing the vision of The New Freedom Commission.  Recovery from mental illness is possible.  If you would like to find out more about recovery from mental illness or the services offered by Chesterfield County Mental Health Support Services, please call 748-1227.  Your journey of recovery can begin today.

This column is for informational purposes only.  Clinical issues should be directed to a licensed clinician or your physician.  Valerie Dalton, M.Ed. is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a private practice serving adolescents and adults.  For more information about her counseling and consulting services, please call 743-7736 or visit www.valeriedaltonlpc.com.

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