In recognition of Mental Health
Awareness Month in May 2020, NAMI High Country (The National Alliance On Mental
Illness) began a partnership with Watauga and Ashe County Public Libraries to
host an initiative called ‘A Reason to Grow.’ The goal of the initiative is to
broaden our communities’ commitment to inclusivity through reading and
discussion. Inclusivity is the practice of welcoming people into a community
who may otherwise have been excluded or marginalized.
“Inclusivity is a big circle
with many dots, welcoming diversity and embracing different perspectives
uncritically, with acceptance and sincerity. And that’s what NAMI does better
than any other organization through its many programs for peers and family
members,” says Karen Gross, contact for the grant. “NAMI is the quintessential
inclusivity organization.”
Progress toward increasing
inclusivity requires champions: people and organizations that identify it as a
fundamental need and continue pressing for change because they understand communities
have the potential through increased awareness to heal hearts and transform
destinies. Inclusivity is a feasible alternative to inactive and
isolated lives and is often described as a medical necessity. “People don’t
need more referrals to mental health services; they need referrals to life and
community.” (Well Together – A Blueprint for Community Inclusion, http://www.tucollaborative.org/sdm_downloads/well-together/ )
Information on available books,
Let’s Talk virtual book discussions, and play-shop interplay activities can be
found on the libraries’ websites. These activities are designed to connect
participants to creative movements which teach us that we can learn to play,
not struggle, with our experiences, and thereby help to foster inclusivity in
our communities. Additionally, we are scheduling some author interviews on the
topic of inclusivity as well as offering an internet class on
self-determination which when completed will qualify participants for a
certificate.
To support this initiative,
books, ebooks, digital audiobooks, DVDs, and a limited number of Spanish
language titles are available through the libraries. Some of these titles are
available to be mailed to your home while others are available for curbside
pickup at the libraries. You must call ahead to reserve a copy. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo,
and Me: A Graphic Memoir by Ellen Forney, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain, and Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T.
Lee are all recommendations included in Oprah’s Mental Health Awareness Month
book list. Little Panic by
Amanda Stern, Maybe You Should Talk to
Someone by Lori Gottlieb, and Hidden
Valley Road by Robert Kolker are all recommended by the National Network of
Libraries of Medicine.
The first author talk, by Dr.
Xavier Amador, will take place at 4:00 p.m. on June 16 via Zoom. Dr. Amador is
an internationally renowned clinical psychologist, forensic expert, and
sought-after speaker. He is also a family caregiver of two close relatives with
schizophrenia and another with bipolar disorder. He will be sharing information
from his book I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need
Help! The primary reason millions of people with serious mental illness
refuse treatment is because of anosognosia—a neurological symptom that renders
a person unable to understand that they are ill, resulting in conflict,
isolation, and treatment refusal. They don't think they're sick, so they don't
accept treatment. Without treatment, symptoms can worsen, the mind can
deteriorate, and the results can be devastating. Learn
how to create trusting relationships with people who have serious mental
illness that can lead to treatment and recovery. We welcome you to join
this conversation by contacting Karen Gross, karengross@skybest.com, for
a link to this virtual event.