Mental Health Advocate Alison Paine with NAMI - Recovered 802

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Alison Paine is the mother of a college student with
co-occurring substance use disorder and major depressive disorder.
She has been a NAMI volunteer for 5 years and
is one of many volunteers for NAMI Washtenaw County.
She teaches in their Family to Family program and
presents information on mental health to teachers and
parents in schools .
Alison is passionate about learning more and sharing information on mental health to anyone who will listen because there is such a need for knowledge and understanding.

Alison, welcome to the Recovered Podcast Studio.

Alison, let’s talk about your journey.
Let’s start with your story and then we can move on to NAMI
Alison, tell us about yourself.

What was your attitude regarding mental illness before your involvement with NAMI?
What was your biggest misconception around mental illness?
Talk about the special challenges for someone with co-occurring substance use disorder and major depressive disorder.

How does stigma affect treatment?
How do you try and deal with stigma?

What is NAMI?

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness,
is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization
dedicated to building better lives for
the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
What started as a small group of families in 1979
has grown into the nation's leading voice on mental health.
Today, NAMI is an association of local affiliates, \
state organizations and volunteers who
work to raise awareness and provide support and education

How did you get involved with NAMI?
What does NAMI do?

Tell us about your Family to Family Education Program

We educate.
How does education help?
Give an example of how education helps
How do you educate?
Who do you educate
What do you teach?
Where do you teach?
We advocate.
What do you hope to accomplish with advocacy?
Who do you advocate for?
Who do you advocate to?
We listen.
Why is listening important?
How do you listen as an individual?
How do you listen as an organization?
We lead.
Why lead?
If you don’t lead, who does?
How do you lead?

What was the #1 thing that is holding NAMI back from success?
What is the best Mental Illness advocacy advice you ever received?
What is something that is working for NAMI right now?
What is the best book you have read on Mental Illness?

How can our listeners get involved?
How can you be contacted?

What would you say to the person who is new in recovery and who has mental health challenges? What advice would you give to that person?

Thank you for joining us today