Sedona News – Families finding mental health help will be the topic of the next Mental Health Monday on January 31st, 10-11:30 AM, via Zoom. Many families struggle to find help and navigate the mental health system when their loved ones are diagnosed with a mental illness. Join us this month for a discussion featuring three family members who will talk about their journey and what worked or didn’t work for them.
Mary Beth Meyers — Author of “The Still Hours of the Night.” Mary Beth found herself in the midst of navigating the mental health system beginning in 2016, culminating in the eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder in her 38-year-old son Paul in 2019. Mary Beth is a Senior Associate at BankVision, Inc., a risk and consulting firm for financial institutions and is Secretary of the NAMI Yavapai Board of Directors.
Carol Lewis — Assistant Director, Yavapai County Community Health Services, where she has worked for 32 years. She is married to Michael, a special education teacher, has two sons and two grandchildren. Mikey, the oldest of her two sons, is living with bipolar disorder. As a mom, she is committed to sharing “Mikey’s Story” to bring more awareness and support for parents/caregivers living with social, emotional and behavioral challenged children and youth.
Trish Riner — Family Involvement Center, Northern Arizona Regional Director – Trish is the parent of three children. Her oldest son began receiving behavioral health services shortly after moving to Arizona in 1999. She has personal lived experience navigating Residential Treatment Centers and Arizona State Hospital placements. She understands the challenges families face when their child transitions between placements in and out of the home. Trish has developed advocacy skills that she shares and models for other parents and caregivers who are currently living a similar journey.
The program is free by going to https://namiyavapai.org/mental-health-monday/ or contact NAMIYavapai.org for more information.
NAMI Yavapai is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy.