To start I live with numerous physical and mental health diagnoses. Due to major depression with bipolar I have been hospitalized numerous times over the course of 15 years. During a hospitalization in 2007 I was told my health was only going to continue on a downhill slope, that I could no longer work, and I would be doing good to care for my family and a home. I quit working and started isolating more and more over time, thus worsening my depression and social anxieties. I was hospitalized again in 2015 after I attempted suicide. While there I found the pamphlets for Mental Health Greensboro and went to a group where one of their peer support specialists told his story. I decided to give MHG a chance, I had nothing to lose and hoped for some real help. I started doing one-on-one peer support with a wonderful peer support specialist. After getting my personal/family life settled down some I started taking classes heavily and attending support groups in March 2017. Since that time I have gotten over 300 credit hours from classes and trainings, received my own peer support certification, and volunteered going from part time to full time for 9 months before being hired on as a full time employee. I've just hit my 1 year mark of employment which is something I was never able to do before in my life. I've learned what it means to truly be happy without all the underlying depression. They've been able to greatly reduce my medications as I learned new ways to cope. MHG completely turned my life around in ways I never even thought possible!!
I am on the Board of MHG and became interested thru a friend and a History on mental health issues in my Family. MHG does great work for the underserved community.
The programs at MHG address many issues and help from this caring group is always available either thru its Peer program or numerous workshops.
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I am on the Board of Mental Health Greensboro and have a close up view of the good it does for the community as well as its efficiency in allocation of resources.
Mental health is a National concern and it is not easy to communicate to those in need . Our efforts to remove the stigma and help our stakeholders move forward productively are invaluable. Peer focused programs , community outreach and youth mental health are important and parts of our daily regimen. I believe we make a difference in Greensboro.
When I needed a new path out of anger and resentment, Mental Health Greensboro had the tools to show me the way. I now experience life in a happier and more patient way and have MHG to thank!
Mental Health Greensboro is an amazing place. As a donor I like to attend their "Wellness Academy" graduations. After clients complete a class(es), which are 6 weeks or more, there is a graduation/celebration held. I go to hear the stories, some people struggled with mental illness for a long time before they found MHG and talk about the positive changes in their life like going back to work, getting an apartment, etc. Other people have tried to end their lives on multiple occasions, then starting going to MHG, and now feel happy and able to manage their diagnosis. It is not unusual to hear at the graduations, "MHG saved my life".
I became aware of MHG services at Behavioral Health while a patient. I started attending classes, eventually going and getting certified as a Peer Support Specialist. I have experienced great growth and peace of mind from what I’ve learned. I will always be grateful, especially to the staff who all have reached out and shared their experience. Together we work to break the stigma of mental health and encourage others to find healing.
I've been able to incorporate strategies from workshops and classes and it has made a great improvement in my life. It is very relevant to everyday living. It's a great help to stress and anger. I've had a lot more information how to manage life and my mental wellness thanks to Mental Health Greensboro.
I am acquainted with some of the staff at MHAG. The organization provides many much needed services to the community. The staff is a very caring group and very invested in helping their clients.
The staff at MHAG is remarkably compassionate and giving! Their concept of mental health recovery was new to me. By attending their free Wellness Academy classes, I was inspired to change my life in so many positive ways! Now I am living a more fulfilling and happier life than I ever dreamed possible, since my diagnosis. I have continued support by attending their free Road to Recovery support groups and repeating the Wellness Academy classes as I feel the need. It also helps me to know that I have the option of scheduling a free session with one of their Peer Support Specialists again, anytime I'm feeling low. They also have programs that promote socialization. MHAG is a lifeline to a healthier mindset. Thanks to them I've learned to live with an attitude of gratitude!
MHAG has been an enormous support and partner in my recovery and ongoing healing. Their contribution to the community cannot be overstated. The free resources offered, such as support groups and numerous classes on various aspects of recovery, makes a difference in the lives of so many - truly a catalyst for the saving and changing of lives.
I have attended the Road to Recovery support groups at MHAG and they were very helpful for me. I have really appreciated the support from people who have experienced similar symptoms as me. This was pretty new to me so I'm thankful that it is a free resource! I would like to see sessions on certain topics from time to time in the groups. Great resource for people with mental health concerns overall.
I interned at MHAG for 6 months and it turned into a life-changing event.
The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and I learned so much about what it meant to live with a mental health challenge and the misconceptions surrounding mental health. Definitely appreciate my experience here
I was so happy and relieved to find a safe place to seek help for my out-of-control emotional life. I knew I was losing it. MHAG provided free classes and support to help me. The coping skills I am learning will help me control some of my worse tendencies. I am very thankful for this organization!
M.H.A.G was my favorite place I've ever worked (5years till 2018). Now I am doing my music more regularly, but I still like going back to do classes for recertification of my Peer Specialist Certification and I am loving them. They are very informative with applicable skills learned in the groups and it is the most supportive place I have been for recovery. Being there was vital for improving my health and well being and I am much more able to function well and achieve my goals now because of what I learned from all the people that came there and from other staff there. I also grew to love the challenge of communicating my faith in secular words and reasoning there, as that proved to be very helpful to learn how to do since people receive it better, especially because I've learned to explain it from that experience, not just state it. People follow what they understand to be good. I was and am no different in that. Learning how to do this there helped me perhaps more than all the mental health tools, which is hard to believe since they helped tremendously. It did though, because it helped me think about why I believe what I believe which gave me a more secure identity. In a lot of ways that is what MHAG did for me, it gave me back my identity through a better understanding of my high power(Him who saves and transforms me that I follow. For me that is Jesus Christ, but it is the meaning of His name which is why, not just cause someone tells me He is God). MHAG is a great place for recovery and improving well being, and we all need that.
I serve on the board of Shea's Chase, an annual charity 5k Run/Walk for the cause of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Each year we donate 100% of our proceeds to the Mental Health Association in Greensboro. I think it is an excellent use of the money that we raise. MHAG fills a big gap in the mental health services that are available in the area, in that they provide recovery support through education and peer support services. This is something that a lot of patients are lacking in their treatment, and its something that really seems to provide a lot of benefit to the people that receive services from MHAG. They help people learn about their diagnoses and learn strategies to maintain their recovery, and they help people get connected with other people in the community who are dealing with similar problems. (In fact, many of their staff are people who have themselves experienced mental illness and recovery.) As the best friend of a person in recovery, these things are hugely important and are not often provided in more clinical settings. Best of all, their services tend to be free, which makes it all the more accessible to those who need them. I am constantly impressed by this organization and what they are able to accomplish with a small staff and limited resources.
Board Member 2018
MHAG is an invaluable resource in our community. Their dedication to providing education and promoting awareness of the many faces mental illness can take, is helping to change the stigma around mental health. The Peer Support Program helps the youth in our area to early signs of mental illness and provides services with a peer they can relate to and identify with.
I wanted to be on the board of the Mental Health Association because I appreciate all this organization does to advance mental health in the community. I was a psychiatric nurse for many years in a local psychiatric hospital and know how limited resources are for patients and families needing support coping with stress and managing symptoms . The impact of their many classes, peer support services , and support groups is profound. It is an organization I wanted to be part of because it is hopefilled and works diligently to decrease stigma and offer leadership, education, support , and collaboration with other groups.
This fine organization, in Greensboro, NC, is a wonderful resource for many individuals in search of assistance with their own (or perhaps a family member) mental health challenges. Many of their programs include peer supportive
services, public education and awareness, and information and referral services.
They directly impact individuals in the community with alternative, free and/or low cost services outside the therapeutic counseling realm.
I started taking wellness classes in 2013. I took all classes attended support groups and peer support. The staff was nonjudgemental and so supportive. My peer support specialist suggested I become a peer support specialist because of my recovery journey. I became a North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialist the same year.