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As both a family member and a professional,
Leslie Byers is a trailblazer in the realm of empowerment for
families with children with mental illness.
In her book “Heather’s Rage” Leslie openly shares her family’s
journey of trying to meet the needs of a seriously mentally ill
child in a society that is not prepared nor inclined to value and
support individuals/families whose journey (through no fault of
their own) deviates from the standard norm. Both Leslie and her
husband were high level IT professionals – very intelligent, very
capable people – yet this did not exempt them from devastation of
not being able to get their daughter’s needs met without having to
wade through escalating stages of crisis which left the entire
family reeling and wounded. This book with its open/honest insights
into the challenges faced by families with mental illness is having
national impact as more and more educational institutions are using
it as a learning tool for students training for the realm of
physical and/or mental health care.
Armed with what her experiences taught her, Leslie left the very
lucrative field of IT to focus her considerable energies towards
enhancing the realm of children’s mental health by becoming a Family
Liaison at Uta-Halee/Cooper Village, a very progressive local
residential facility for children with severe mental
illness/behavioral disorders. Leslie tirelessly devotes both her
professional and personal time to providing direct service and
support to families trying to navigate the system of service for
their child and to changing a system that is frequently not user
friendly or responsive to the needs of these families.
Leslie takes every opportunity to serve on family panels to educate
legislators and other professionals on issues related to children’s
mental illness and family-centered practices. She assumed the
position of Chair of the Board for the Nebraska Family Support
Network when this vital family organization was in danger of closing
its’ doors. Leslie serves on multiple local/statewide mental health
committees and has active lead roles in various mental health
initiatives including Heartland CIT – which trains law enforcement
in appropriate crisis intervention with individuals with mental
illness; Building Bridges – a national initiative for improving
outcomes at children’s residential facilities; Coercion Free
Nebraska - educating Nebraska’s mental health facilities on
strategies/practices that limit the use of restraints and seclusion
as standard treatment options.
Leslie lectures across the nation on the family perspective into
children’s mental health treatment; how professionals can utilize
the family’s insight/expertise; and how families can best advocate
for their children. Leslie is a State Trainer/instructor for the
Visions for Tomorrow (NAMI-TX) comprehensive education class for
parents of children with mental illness – which she provides to
families on her own time at no cost.
In summary, I will just reiterate that Leslie is very deserving of
the recognition due one who makes such a significant difference for
families with children with mental illness.
As submitted by Eve Bleyhl, Executive Director, Nebraska Family
Support Network
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