National Alliance on Mental Illness Honors Stark Professionals, Volunteers and Peers

The NAMI Stark County Affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently honored individual achievement at its Sixth Annual Celebration Of Volunteerism, Wellness and Recovery.

Mike Gill, Larry Glick and Peggy Morneau were named Terry McKnight Volunteers of the Year; Charlie Cavender was recognized for his board service.

These volunteers are trained NAMI education and support facilitators. Gill and Glick often work together in Peer-to-Peer classes and support group facilitation. Glick also is a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) trainer. The two met while attending a Peer-to-Peer class and their friendship has extended to supporting others who live with mental illness. They’ve had a particular focus on working with the residents of Hunter House, which assists homeless people who are dealing with both mental illness and substance abuse. Morneau is new to NAMI but has made a significant impact, using her personal experience to help other families understand and support loved ones who live with mental illness. She leads NAMI Family-to-Family classes and facilitates support groups.

The award is named in memory of McKnight, a founder of NAMI Stark County and a tireless advocate for people with mental illness and their families.

Among the 90 other volunteers honored at the event, the organization called out the service of retiring board treasurer Charlie Cavender, CPA. Cavender also was a founding member of the organization, serving as the organization’s treasurer and one its most dedicated supporters. While board members are not eligible to win the McKnight Award, those in attendance gave Cavender a standing ovation for his contributions to NAMI.

Paulla Gates and John Stocker were named Rene Summerville Professionals of the Year.

Gates, retired chief officer at Coleman Professional Services, has spent a lifetime of service and leadership to assist those living with mental illness. She has consistently advocated for family engagement in the treatment of people with mental illness, and is known for bringing clarity to complex client issues.

Stocker, a client rights advocate at Heartland Behavioral Health, brings energy and commitment to his role. He champions the needs of those in recovery and educates families in NAMI’s Family-to-Family program on how best to advocate for their loved ones.

The professional of the year award was newly named in 2015 to celebrate the contributions of Summerville, a founder of NAMI Stark County and counselor at Crisis Intervention and Recovery Center. Summerville worked in service to those suffering with mental illness until her death in Jan. 2015. Her family and co-workers were on hand for the presentation of the award.

Dominique Ackerman, Priscilla Beaver and her grandson, Amber Hill, Cory Kotema, Aaron Leonhardt, Lisa Layne, Larry Taylor and Aaron Threm were honored as Peers of the Year.

These individuals were nominated by area mental health agencies and professionals for their perseverance and success in managing their own illness and assisting others in doing the same. Peers have the unique position to help others by using their lived experience.

“Our Peers of the Year all have demonstrated perseverance in the face of great obstacles in their journey of recovery,” said Jane James, NAMI executive director. “This is an inspirational group of people who embody our goal to building hope for recovery.”

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, support and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raise awareness and build a community of hope for all of those in need. NAMI Stark County, an affiliate of the national organization, provides free recovery-oriented programming for those living with mental illness and their families. For more information, visit www.namistarkcounty.org or contact the office at 330 455-6264 or namistark@namistarkcounty.org