NAMI-San Diego President Wins National Lifetime Achievement Award
17 May 2005 - 7:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
NAMI-San Diego President Wins National Lifetime Achievement Award
Advocate Honored for Tireless Work on Behalf of the Underserved
Within the Mental Health Community ATLANTA, May 16
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When she began volunteering at the San
Diego chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI),
Sally Shepherd's life had been torn apart by depression. It had
robbed her of a meaningful career as a nurse, destroyed many of her
personal relationships, and the electroconvulsive therapy she
turned to as a last resort had erased memories from a year of her
life. Nevertheless, she persevered in treatment and found meaning
again by reaching out to others with depression -- especially those
that are often overlooked, such as the elderly and people with HIV.
For touching the lives of thousands of San Diegans in need,
Shepherd has been honored by an independent panel of national
mental health leaders with the 2005 Welcome Back Award for lifetime
achievement. Eli Lilly and Company sponsors the national awards
program, which is in its seventh year. Ms. Shepherd felt cheated
when the severity of her depression forced her to leave her job.
This loss fueled a determination to fight ignorance and stigma
about mental illness, and to reach out to those affected by it,
many of whom are often overlooked. Ms. Shepherd has strengthened
the focus of NAMI, a non-profit group dedicated to improving the
lives of people with mental illness, onto providing support,
advocacy and education to all that need it, by actively including
the elderly, people with HIV and the friends and families of those
with depression. "I was an experienced medical professional, but I
didn't recognize what was going wrong when it happened to me and
neither did anyone around me," said Shepherd. "Education is crucial
in making sure that all people struggling with depression are
diagnosed, treated, and supported in a way that best works for
them." Shepherd speaks on NAMI's behalf to people living with
depression as well as their loved ones, giving advice on talking
openly about depression. She tells audiences how she educated her
husband about the illness, and how he went from not understanding
depression, to giving his own educational speeches to NAMI
audiences. Because Shepherd's own depression occurred mid-life, she
has become known as a powerful advocate for older adults with
mental illness. She co-founded the pioneering San Diego Older Adult
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition to help her community
understand that depression doesn't have to be suffered in silence
during life's latter years. Recently, Shepherd developed an
innovative educational program about HIV and depression -- two
illnesses that often occur together, and can impact treatment
choices. She has worked with healthcare professionals, HIV workers
and community support groups to help coordinate the best possible
care for people living with these diseases. "Sally is a role model
for people with depression. She is living proof that it's possible
to fight back against the crippling blow depression can deal," said
Dr. Rodrigo Munoz, MD, Welcome Back Awards committee member and
clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California,
San Diego. "Her own struggle for wellness, and her struggle to give
everyone a chance at education, support and recovery has become an
inspiration for thousands in the San Diego area and beyond."
Shepherd is one of six individuals who will be honored at the
seventh annual Welcome Back Awards ceremony on May 21, in Atlanta.
Sponsored by Lilly, the Welcome Back Awards is a national program
that recognizes outstanding individuals who make a difference in
the depression community. In addition to her award, a $10,000
contribution from Lilly will be shared between NAMI San Diego and
the San Diego Older Adult Coalition, on Ms. Shepherd's behalf.
Nominations for the 2006 Lilly Welcome Back Awards may be submitted
by anyone wishing to recognize an individual for outstanding
achievements within the depression community. For more information,
call 800-463-6440 or visit http://www.welcomebackawards.com/ .
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050516/WBACKLOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO )
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050516/WBACKLOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO DATASOURCE:
Eli Lilly and Company CONTACT: Helen DelleCave of Chamberlain
Communications Group, +1-212-884-0649
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