A Peer who knows about Support - Sanford

Vail Place has been the 2nd major turning point in my life (my psychiatric diagnosis was the first). Before I became a member of Vail Place I had a constant sense of not fitting in, of isolation and rejection; and after having been a member of the Minneapolis Vail Place for the past 1 1/2 years, I have grown into a friendly, outgoing person, thanks to the example of other members.  I no longer feel a sense of rejection or isolation and I have been able to make friends as well as make volunteer service contributions to the Vail Place Clubhouse through the wide variety of unique volunteer opportunities which are available to members.

I first came to Vail Place thanks to a fellow veteran, and Vail Place member, that I met at a VA mental health support group.  He brought me to Vail Place and helped set the tone of friendliness.  He introduced me to a couple of people and explained what the clubhouse was about.  He helped me feel safe and made me feel accepted and comfortable.

I have found that that there is so much support among the members.  You see it day-to-day, with members helping each other to learn tasks and take advantage of opportunities.  And there are even groups led by members that cover a lot of issues that are important for us.

For example, there’s a NAMI peer support group that was started and is facilitated by two Vail Place members, Jack and Tonda.  It meets every week and is the most empowering mental health support group I’ve ever been to.  Jack and Tonda have made a one-year commitment to running the group, which gives you an idea how much members care for each other.

There’s another group that covers politics.  It was started by Theresa, a member who knows a lot about what’s happening in our government around mental health issues.  A lot of members are taking a very active part in providing peer support in this very important arena because it directly affects us.  Budget cuts and changes in mental health services have profound impacts on our lives, so members want to know what’s going on and want to get involved.

I’ve come quite a long way since I joined Vail Place in overcoming my isolation and social anxiety.  I now serve as a tour guide to newcomers and visitors to the Minneapolis Vail Place Clubhouse.  I’m also teaching others to guide tours, which is very rewarding.

And I do public speaking, explaining to diverse groups of people my personal experiences with mental illness, as well as explaining the very empowering and positive impact that Vail Place has had on my recovery from my mental illness.