Diana's Viewpoint
Diana Waggoner | Executive Director

Community Efforts Promote Change

We look forward to our monthly newsletter as it becomes an opportunity to share with readers recent tidbits gleaned specifically addressing mental health issues. Many newsy items cross our desk from international, national, and local perspectives each month, and naturally, we remain most proud of the efforts at the grass roots level in Nebraska, as consumers are more and more taking leadership in changing the face of mental health care. For example, local Nebraska organizations are becoming involved in suicide awareness and prevention programs unique to their communities. There is local leadership in recognizing the legitimate needs of youth transitioning from many years in foster care to life as an ‘independent adult’, and it has been acknowledged that parents willing to adopt a child with fetal alcohol syndrome or other traumas will need ongoing education and support as part of their lifetime commitment to this special child. In addition, peer support programs are growing and becoming increasingly effective and powerful.

Several years ago, we received an email from Perth, Australia, from people wanting to start a peer support program for children whose parent had a mental illness. The email asked if we knew of similar support programs they could contact for guidance. We inquired through the NAMI office and learned that Michigan had two support groups for children, and South Carolina had one. Through the miracle of the Internet, our office was able to connected these people; to our joy, Perth, Australia, now has a support group for children ages 6 to 10, another for youth 10 to 14 years of age, and another for older teens. How wonderful to understand that the sometimes unpredictable behavior of Mom or Dad is because of an illness, not a personal reflection on the child! Hopefully, these types of peer support groups will become available in Nebraska! NAMI and MHA have provided educational classes for adult family members that include information on the course of these illnesses, the effects of medications, insights into mood swings, and thinking or behavior issues. The message centers on understanding how family members can help, rather than buying into the behaviors that increase the family rift.

We are also pleased that more and more hospitals and clinics are hiring peer support workers as part of their treatment team. People with mental illnesses, or brain diseases, tell us over and over how reassuring and how helpful it is to meet someone with similar histories and experiences, being encouraged by their wellness. As the course of mental health care changes, we are hearing more medical people crediting consumers with the inspiration behind these changes. We were truly thrilled for consumers when recently two doctors stated that medication, therapy, and peer support were three successful treatment options.

Congratulations to those individuals and families who have lived with these illnesses, and who have made their voices
heard! Your experiences are powerful and meaningful to others; we urge you to continue speaking out and leading us to new frontiers. Nebraska does have peer support groups sponsored by DBSA, NAMI, and MHA, as well as local peer support groups available through our regions. We urge people to learn to tell their story in a meaningful way sharing that there is
hope and help and healing. Share with others that recovery and resiliency should be today’s expectation!