In my last entry, I talked about how my family has moved. While some of the big items have been checked off of the list, I noted that there are still a lot of changes happening in our lives. Today, I want to dive deeper into what has changed in my world related to mental health.
In Iowa, I was a member of the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Iowa Board of Directors, and had served as its president for two years. In addition I have taught NAMI Provider and NAMI Family to Family classes. Also, I worked on mental health initiatives at my church. For several years, mental health has been a big focus and a big interest of mine, so I assumed that this would continue when I moved to Arizona.
Perhaps I have not given myself enough time to transition and adjust, because I have not gotten involved in much yet. I have joined NAMI Arizona and a local chapter of the organization.. I have reached out to the Executive Director of NAMI Arizona but have received no response currently. I am starting to think about if I could do a mental health Bible study or group at my new church, but I am not sure how that might look. To sum it up, I am doing a lot of thinking, but not a lot of acting on it. And, for some reason, that has given me pause. What could I be doing about mental health here in my new home? How could I go about it? Who could I work with? Where could this work happen? I am hoping to find some more clarity soon.
In the meantime, if you have some ideas or suggestions, please let me know – I am open to hearing your thoughts