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Preview to:
Reaching
Out to Volunteers with Mental Illness
by Rosanna Tarsiero
This article advocates for people with mental illness being more accepted
as volunteers. My experience in mental health issues is complex, encompassing
several points of view. First and foremost, I am mentally ill myself,
fighting against bipolar disorder type 1 since 1986. I also faced the
illness in loved ones, having parents with "mood swings" (milder
than mine), several bipolar friends and both my former and present boyfriend
affected by this very same illness. It was by seeing bipolar patients
in Medical School that I realized "I had the problem." I
also volunteered for three years with another organization before founding
my own Web-based one, Bipolar Dream, in March 2003. In both sites all
the volunteers I managed were mentally ill people.
With this opening, the author guides us through an informative and practical
discussion of the myths surrounding mental illness, the most common forms
of mental illness likely to be encountered by volunteer program managers,
and tips for working with mentally ill volunteers. You'll find yourself
challenged and inspired.
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