''In Our Own Voice- living with mental illness''

Jennifer Dishman currently lives in Lexington and is a graduate of Eastern KY University with a B.S. in Corrections and Juvenile Services. She is a Veteran of the U.S. Navy and has held a variety of other professional positions. Ms. Dishman currently volunteers with CASA—Court Appointed Special Advocate for children and is actively involved as a volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Lexington affiliate. Among her many outreach activities, Ms. Dishman is a Family to Family teacher, an In Our Own Voice presenter, as well as a Support Group Facilitator and Trainer. Kelley Coffey, a previous resident of Berea for 12 years, now lives in Mt. Vernon with her husband. In addition to being an In Our Own Voice presenter for NAMI, Ms. Coffey also serves as Vice-President of the Cumberland River Chapter of NAMI, President of Gateway at Cumberland River Comprehensive Care Center, a state board member, and as a Kentucky Peer Specialist. This presentation is part of the In Our Own Voice program, a “unique public education program developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in which two trained consumer speakers share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery.” This is a special opportunity to gain a personal perspective and better understanding of what it is like to live with a mental illness.