'i am somebody' tells stories of recovery

Three area nonprofits are teaming up on a podcast that they hope will inform the community about mental health and addiction recovery in an accessible, personal way. National Alliance on Mental Illness Hancock County, Focus and LGBTQ+ Spectrum of Findlay are creating the podcast "i am somebody." Cayla Fortman, executive director of the nonprofit recovery center Focus, said everyone who tells their story on the podcast will have lived experience, meaning they themselves are in recovery from mental health, addiction or trauma. Fortman said a podcast seems like a more accessible way to get the message out, and the "casualness" may appeal to people in a way that a traditional guide to mental health treatment might not. Organizers intend to release a new 60- to 90-minute episode every other week. Bailey Kerr, director of programs for NAMI Hancock County, said the podcast is expected to be available for the public in the early part of May. Kerr is co-host with Larry Betts, technology lead at Focus. Co-hosting this podcast means she will get to hear a lot of people's stories. "I'm very, very excited about it," Kerr said. She added that "so many people listen to podcasts," and it will be exciting for local people to hear someone in their community on one. "Really, mental health is a journey" and it can be an "exhausting" one, she said. So the idea is to give a sense of hope, and to help keep people motivated. Fortman said organizers want to spread "the message of hope." "A lot of people feel very alone," she said. And, she said, even those who think they don't know someone in recovery from mental health, addiction or trauma issues, probably actually do. Fortman said the podcast's organizers want to show that there are multiple pathways to recovery, and there is "no one right way." And, she said, it can be "a winding road" to reaching recovery. Kerr said she hopes the podcast is "a very humanizing experience" and helps people "let go of stereotypes." She said mental health conditions are regularly stereotyped in a movie as a plot twist, or are described as a reason for mass shootings. "That's how it's talked about publicly," she said. "And the reality is that 1 in 5 people has a diagnosis," so whatever room you're in, there's someone in that room who has a mental health diagnosis. Focus is taking the lead on the project, and received a grant from the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation that allowed for the purchase of recording equipment. Fortman said the process of recording each podcast starts with an introductory visit. Focus staff talk with the person, to make sure they have explored the pros and cons of telling their story. Then they come up with a timeline of their journey toward recovery. Kerr said this approach allows people "control over their own story." They didn't choose to have a mental health diagnosis, but they can choose how they move through it, she said. Dr. Jasmin Bradley, executive director of Spectrum, said the organization is "very cognizant" of data showing that, due to discrimination, a significant number of LGBTQ people face mental health and substance abuse issues. So, she said, it's important that Spectrum find ways to partner with organizations like Focus and NAMI. Bradley said the podcast will tell stories of the community, noting that it is "people's real–life journeys that change hearts and minds." Kerr said the podcast is still open to applicants. "Could you imagine having the ability to help somebody? Your story holds power to propel others in ways that you could have never imagined," states the podcast application page, which can be found at https://focusrwc.org/podcast-application/ Artist Amber Kear, who is assisting with marketing and building the brand for the project, created a logo based on the butterfly — known in most cultures for transformation. She said recovery from trauma and mental health issues is often "a little messy," and she tried to create a logo that captured that messiness but is also beautiful. Kear said she hopes the project will "open up the conversation" and "destigmatize" mental health issues. She said small conversations can have "ripple effects," and it's by having difficult conversations and listening to one another that things change. She said she hopes the podcast encourages people "to be genuine and authentic with one another" and that, as a community, we are not "scared to talk to one another." "I hope it gives people a voice," she said. Arthurs: 419-427-8494