VOCAL

The VOCAL Network provides connection and communication among individuals and groups. Our Network is developed, guided, and staffed by people who have been diagnosed with mental illness.

Our purpose is to increase individual well being and allow support and information to be exchanged, and to work with other organizations to protect rights, improve services and counter discrimination.

Contact Us
To reach the VOCAL Network contact network@vocalvirginia.org or call VOCAL Network, 1904 Byrd Avenue, Suite 111, Richmond, VA 23230, (804) 343-1777, toll free: (877) 862-5638 (VOCLNET)

Information and Connection
We work through the web, email, quarterly newsletters, telephone, outreach visits and statewide meetings.

Membership
VOCAL members esteem the worth and dignity of each individual, the right to self-determination, and the important contributions of peer support and self-help.

System Change
Through the VOCAL Network, we have the opportunity to change the system by communicating with each other, and speaking with one voice about the needs of people in recovery from mental illness.

Frequently Asked Questions About the VOCAL Network

How do I locate peers in my town or region?
The goal of the VOCAL Network is to serve as a conduit that will connect people to each other and to organizations. Due to confidentiality issues, the Network will not be able to give you the names of members in your area. However, the Network can refer you to organizations such as vocational centers, drop-in centers, and support groups.

What can I do to help?
The best thing that you can do to help is join VOCAL and get connected. Every individual member of VOCAL is equally important to the success and survival of the Network. The Network will present many opportunities for you to get involved in your region. Joining VOCAL just to receive the monthly newsletter and stay informed on issues is a big help, because you can use that information to educate yourself and others in your local communities. If you want to help, join the VOCAL and get involved. You can register online to become a member here.

What do you mean by recovery?
Recovery is a way of looking at people with mental illness as the unique individuals they are and not just someone with a diagnosis. Recovery does not necessarily mean cure. Indeed, it is possible to be experiencing symptoms and be in "recovery". Recovery is the journey that each individual with a mental illness makes to become the individuals that they are. There are many key facets of the recovery process such as hope, personal responsibility, advocacy, and peer support.

Why would I want to let others know that I have a mental illness?
It is definitely a personal decision to reveal that you have a mental illness. However, revealing this information can be a helpful experience for you and the person that you choose to disclose to. Disclosure can help educate people by letting them know that individuals with mental illness are people with the same hopes and desires that they have.

What can you do for me that my therapist can't do?
Studies have shown that one of the biggest contributors to successful recovery from mental illness is peer support. Peer support is based on the idea that individuals who have the same health problem can help each other cope and recover. The Network is literally a vehicle that consumers throughout Virginia can use to engage in peer support to help and encourage each other by sharing stories and knowledge.

What is being done about removing the stigma of mental illness?

The primary way to reduce stigma is through education. One of the goals of the VOCAL Network is to educate consumers and the public about what it is like to have a mental illness. There are many myths about mental illness.

MYTH: People with mental illness are violent.

FACT: People with mental illness are no more violent than the rest of the population. In fact, they are more likely to be the victims of violence.

MYTH: There is no recovery from mental illness.

FACT: There is much research and many personal stories to show that recovery from mental illness is possible. Mental illness is not always a chronic degenerative disease with no hope of recovery. Many people with mental illness, including members of the VOCAL Network, recover and are able to live satisfying and fulfilling lives.

These are just a few of the misconceptions about mental illness. By educating consumers and the public, the VOCAL Network hopes to remove stigma and show that consumers are normal people who have the same hopes and dreams as others such as housing, employment, and family.