All this weekend (well Friday-through-Saturday) I was training 8 people to become facilitators for a program called NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group. It is a weekly support group for people with mental illness where people can feel safe, share experiences, have understanding, non-judgement, and always feeling better when they came.

I still remember the first time I found a NAMI Connection meeting, in Maryland. I stepped in the door back in January 2008, and was so frightened. I was scared because I was still struggling with accepting that I even had a mental illness. In that room were people who made me feel comfortable, made me realize with the first time of my diagnosis that I wasn’t the only one, that I wasn’t alone. I started coming to every meeting, week after week. Eventually NAMI trained me to become a Connection Facilitator. In June with one of my good friends from my old group we had started our own. It was a strange feeling. I was so excited to be a facilitator back in 2008.

Once I moved from Maryland to California, I got in touch with my local affiliate right away and let them know that I was a NAMI Connection facilitator and Trainer.

Since I have been here in San Diego, just like my old groups in Maryland. I am there every week. Maybe not facilitating, maybe sometimes a participant. But that is the beautiful thing about the program. I realized during the training this weekend that even as a trainer I still have things to learn and I will always be progressing.

So now 3-1/2 years later, becoming a Military “Women” and having NAMI as part of my life I have to contact the NAMI Connecticut affiliate which is where I will be heading at the end of this month. And if there is no group in my area—I will drive—or I will start one!!

On a side not I was modeling our team shirts: TEAM PUSH for our NAMI Connection team. Our acronym stands for Progress Understanding Support and Hope. My tee shirt is awesome I must say. Here is a picture of the back:

So in summary, these eight facilitators, who are all wonderful amazing people, are going to carry on the fidelity and tradition of NAMI Connection. Across the United States there are over 700 groups available to anyone with a mental illness. I am so pleased that I could be a part of this training with my beautiful training partner, Debbie Zomparelli. I will miss you darling. We have done now 3-4 trainings here in Cali together. So to my facilitators, my connection group, keep doing it, keep it going and I promise you I will be back!

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