CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Opinion/Letter: Region Ten, director earn respect

The Daily Progress - 7/26/2017

National Alliance of Mental Illness Blue Ridge Charlottesville family members gather weekly to listen to one another, celebrate progress, and educate ourselves on how to support and advocate for our loved ones who suffer from serious mental illness.

Region Ten touches us all. Region Ten staff find full coverage for expensive injections that keep our sons out of psychosis. They help our mothers apply for disability and Medicare. They help our sisters get and keep a job. They provide dual recovery services that aren't available anywhere else in town. They provide supportive housing and access to psychiatrists and counselors who are skilled, experienced and compassionate. They make a difference for our children, our wives and husbands, our brothers and sisters, our grandmothers and grandfathers, our neighbors.

Their role is unbelievably challenging. Region Ten clients are frequently in medical crisis. The complex web of funding sources, agencies and providers is mind-numbing. The staff of Region Ten navigate all of that while maintaining their focus on what matters most, providing services and caring support to their clients.

Mental illness treatment continues to suffer inadequate funding due to centuries of stigma and lack of knowledge about serious organic brain dysfunctions. Even in the face of funding challenges, Region Ten's professionalism and respect for their clients has been demonstrated in their work with NAMI families.

We are grateful to Executive Director Robert Johnson for the wonderful contribution he has made to our local mental health community. As the leader of Region Ten, he sets the tone. He works tirelessly with clients and their families, as well as the agencies involved at all levels. He has been instrumental in improving services, and has the heart and insight to work appropriately with those needing care in even the most difficult circumstances.

We are a stronger, more caring community because of Region Ten. For our families, they are an invaluable partner, enabling us to give our loved ones the most crucial element of recovery - loving support. Region Ten is literally a lifesaver.

Tara Telfair, Albemarle County

Tara Telfair is a member of the board of the National Alliance of Mental Illness Blue Ridge Charlottesville.