Download “In Our Own Voice” flyer for distribution
"In Our Own Voice" puts a human face on mental illness.
The aim of “In Our Own Voice: Living with Mental Illness” (IOOV) is to diminish the stigma surrounding those with mental illness while educating the audience about the true nature of brain disorders. The audience will gain wisdom from men and women whose lives were interrupted by illness, but who are now role models for hope and recovery.
Each presenter has been through training to develop the skills to translate the story of his or her own recovery into truths and insights that will resonate with the audience.
"In Our Own Voice" is an ideal presentation for: Consumers, family members, health providers, law enforcement, faith communities or any community or civic organizations.
Ideally, the program runs from 60 to 90 minutes to allow for ample discussion time. Contact NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania to schedule a presentation for your organization: (412) 366-3788 or email sharring@namiswpa.org for more information.
Due to the success of IOOV program, additional individuals were given the opportunity to join the current team of IOOV presenters. In July of 2007, eleven individuals completed the IOOV presenter training made possible by Allegheny County Office of Behavioral Health and NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Even more exciting, the training was led by Donna McCurdy and Laura Thomas, current IOOV presenters from Allegheny County. Both Donna and Laura traveled to St. Louis in April for an IOOV Train-the-Trainer weekend. It was long, grueling weekend but well worthwhile as Laura and Donna were able to lend their personal experiences to incoming presenters.
Currently, NAMI Southwestern PA has a total of 22 "In Our Own Voice" presenters.
