I am excited to be launching the Human Power Project! This project is the culmination of my life's work. For 8 years I traveled around the country as the Director of Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign. I spoke to over 1 million people, trained speakers, created awareness programs, and listened to endless stories about mental health. Then I burned out.
The constant travel, emotional outpouring, and not feeling like I was balanced caught up to me. I did what anyone does when they burn out. I joined the Peace Corps! There's nothing more relaxing than living in a small house that sometimes has water, in searing temperatures. I lived in Botswana for over two years and worked at a center for people with disabilities.
While I was in Botswana I did a lot of awareness for HIV and AIDS. I thought a lot about the mental health awareness I did while I was in the US. By the end of my service I had been doing public health awareness programs for over 10 years. I felt it was time to do more. To go beyond awareness and engage people in different ways.
The idea for the Human Power Project started while I was sitting in my small house in Botswana and working with all of the beautiful people you see in the picture above. The goal of this project is to create curriculum that gives people the tools they need to effectively address their mental health. To take the lessons I have been giving on a stage and move them to a classroom, where people will have the opportunity to conceptualize, process, and explore their emotions with their own words.
We've been reacting to mental health crises for too long. It's time to be preventative, proactive, and to get to people BEFORE they start experiencing the most difficult mental health challenges. I look forward to being a part of the Mental Health Evolution!