Your Voice Matters

By: Kimberly Comer | www.namipbc.org

My journey with chronic health conditions began in 1989, resembling the 1975 movie, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

For the next 23 years, for many reasons, I cycled in and out of various hospital facilities. As a result, I lost employment opportunities and relationships between myself and my children. In addition, I experienced housing instability, was incarcerated in multiple county jails multiple times, and ultimately secured residency in a maximum security prison (23 hours a day/7 days a week).

I was most recently hospitalized on August 27, 2012. Then, I was introduced to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which allowed me to develop a wellness program to live my healthiest quality of life.

The process has spanned the better part of a decade. I have participated in support groups and taken evidence-based education classes such as Peer-to-Peer and the Wellness Recovery Action Plan.

During this time, I was encouraged to share my story, experiences, and voice through a signature program NAMI offers called In Our Own Voice (IOOV). This is where the healing began. Advocacy has allowed me and many others to know that our experiences were meaningful. When shared, they can be powerful and provide opportunities for systems change.

There are several barriers to accessing mental health care in this country. They are as wide-ranging as inadequate reimbursement to provider shortages to dealing with the stigma of a mental health diagnosis and the lack of full implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Coordinating efforts with both NAMI and the Florida Mental Health Advocacy Coalition, a large group of us headed to Tallahassee for Behavioral Health Day this past February. It was one of the first in-person events since the pandemic began and it was amazing to see everyone in person.

In addition to connecting with peers and like-minded people working in the field of mental health, we also got a chance to connect with legislators which was encouraging as they were compassionate, kind and engaged.

One of the biggest issues we spoke about was the importance of funding the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Line provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all across the United States. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people and since the line’s inception in 2005, it has received over 20 million calls. The tireless work of the hotline and crisis counselors is helping to save lives and we need to ensure the good work continues. After speaking with legislators, I felt like we were all working towards the same outcome - improving the lives of everyone living in the amazing state of Florida. The opportunity to participate in the statewide Behavioral Health Day brings together all modalities that integrate whole health and recovery. The courage that each person shows in sharing their family’s experiences with the legislators responsible for funding the programs that impact each of us is where the change is. It feels incredible to be surrounded by like-minded individuals advocating for the same thing: hope and the opportunity to live our healthiest quality of life.

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