After teaching school in a rural community in Jamaica, West Indies for 11 years, I migrated to the US in 1980. I applied for a job with a Community Mental Health Center as a Recreational Specialist. The lady who hired me felt that my experience as a music teacher would cause me to be perfect for the job. She told me that the consumers were in transition and that they had problems socializing appropriately and needed support finding appropriate ways to enjoy their lives and have fun. The job sounded exciting and I was ready for a new challenge. The year 1980 was a very difficult one for me since I had separated from my husband of 11 years and I had two small children that I brought with me who were depending on me for full support. From Feb to August of 1980 I went through a very dark period in which I had a very acute clinical depression and a suicide attempt. Life had become vey overwhelming for me and I could not find a way out. So I decided on a Saturday afternoon in March that it would be best to swallow all of the sleeping pills the doctor has given me for insomnia.
I was living on the school campus of the high school at which I taught and the principal’s wife decided to visit me. She entered through the back door and found me in the bed; my mouth stuffed with the pills. With rather swift, direct movements, she removed all the pills by digging into my mouth with her fingers and slapped me silly all the time shouting; “Are you crazy? Who is going to take care of your children?” The next few weeks saw many sessions with her listening to me talk about my depression; her coaxing me to eat because, by that time, I had lost some 30 pounds from an already slim body. But she never gave up no matter how I protested and the actions of that one woman caused me to begin to come out of my depression while nourishing my body.
When I took the job at the Transitional program in 1981, it occurred to me that I had experienced that bout of depression to help me understand the people I was working with; to be able to empathize with them. Nothing is ever wasted. Anyway, up to that time, I was unaware that people live with a mental illness and still had to work and take care of themselves. Thus began my education regarding people living with Psychiatric Disabilities. Later I was to learn the mental illness touches every family; including my own.
After working in the field for 5 years I was promoted to program director of a Day Program where I was encouraged to receive more training in the skills of Psychiatric Rehabilitation. I studied a teaching modality developed by Boston University Center for Rehabilitation and Training, that greatly influenced the way I worked with people with mental illness. That tarining caused my program to stand out as one in which people were focused on goals, skills and resources that will cause then to experience a fuller and more meaningful existence.
While at the day program, I also started the Friendship Games for people with psychiatric disabilities because I realized that the people in my program were very isolated. Many of them had come to this area from Cuba through the Mariel boat lift. Others had come from mostly Latin American countries. Many of them came here without family members and the kind of support many of us take for granted. The Friendship Games were designed to bring people with mental illness from 2 counties together for fun, food, good music, talent show, friendly competition in games of all types, prizes, trophies, watches, clothing and personal effects, medals, beads and solidarity with community members who care about them. I have personally facilitated and sponsored this event for 24 years now as the Founder and Director. Working with some 150 volunteers we pull this event together on the 2nd Friday of October during Mental Illness Awareness week. As far as we know, this is the only event of its kind in the entire United States. Consumers of mental health services look forward to this event each year because those of us who put it on, work all year to ensure that The participants feel special and valued at the Friendship Games. We would like to see this event take place all around the country and hope to be called upon to share with others who desire to have a Friendship Games in their area. Our motto is “Everyone’s a Winner at the Friendship Games.”
Out of the need to keep friends of people with mental illness together, my husband and I have produced pocket/purse guides called “Vital Links, So You Can Know Where To Go” for Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. The publishing of these booklets is usually sponsored by some benevolent member of our communities. These booklets are great, not only for consumers of mental health services, but for case managers, police, outreach services etc. Let us know if we can help you develop them from your community. Our research team is ready to go.
Finally I just want to take a moment to say that everyone can contribute in one way or another to promoting the idea that people with mental illness are "people first" and that they have the same needs that we do. They are not usually the stereotypes that are portrayed on television ( mostly as violent), but rather people like you and me who have goals and aspirations and would like to enjoy a good quality of life. After working the friendship games for 24 years I can safely say people who attend these games, sometimes 1500 of them at a time, have been orderly, peaceful and fun loving. Each year we feel grateful for the ability to serve them knowing full well; "there but for the grace of God, go I".
Carol Hope, Founder and Director, Friendship Games
