FIREWALKERS: RADICALLY RETHINKING MENTAL HEALTH
September 2010
FACES was proud to serve as host for the Friends 4 Recovery Support Group for several years prior to Carla receiving a grant to create the Whole Health Center.
This is an opportunity to see and hear the story of recovery in action.
Reading, book signing, and grand celebration to be held at Gallery 5 in Richmond on February 18th from 2:00pm - 4:00pm.
“When I was 32 years old and starting a children’s theme party business, I started believing my dentist was following me. I thought my teeth were bugged and there were cameras installed everywhere,” says Carla Beck. This year Carla received a $200,000 grant to create the Friends 4 Recovery Whole Health Center in Chesterfield County. What happened in between is one of seven stories we set out to tell.
The book’s title is “Firewalkers: Mystery, Beauty and Madness.” Firewalkers is a new project at VOCAL that includes a book of interviews, community arts workshops, a photo series, and outreach and storytelling events. Our goal is to offer a different way of viewing mental health, a deeper understanding of what it means and what is possible.
Editor Cassandra Nudel says, “When we set out to create Firewalkers, we wanted people to know a mental health diagnosis is not a death sentence. It is not the end of the line or the last thing that will ever happen in your life. It is a strange and unexpected journey that most of us never asked for or ever wanted. But after walking through the fire, it has brought us somewhere. And for some of us, we would not go back. Even if we could.”
This project was made possible with funding from: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services as part of the national Campaign for Mental Health Recovery, National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center, a program of Mental Health America, Virginia DMHMRSAS, Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation & Substance Abuse Services.
VOCAL, Inc is a non-profit organization of people in recovery from mental illness. We are a community, support network, social change movement and self-help education program. Our organization was created by and for people who have experienced emotional and mental health crisis. VOCAL was founded in 2000.
Contact:
Malaina Poore
malaina@vocalvirginia.org
PO Box 1248
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Ph: (434) 243-7878
www.thefirebook.org