A life of advocacy built on difficulty in elementary school, an alcoholic father and a violent rape.

How adverse childhood experiences and a passionate interest in people’s stories led to a lifetime of advocacy.

Each of us have had traumatic episodes in our past that helped inspire and shape our commitment to advocacy.

United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Mental Health Initiative prioritizes: Workforce Development, Suicide Prevention and Youth Mental Health.

United Ways across the country do some great work around Mental Health advocacy. Our guest: Steven Berbeco, from United Way of NW Vermont.

Survivors CAN be thrivers. They just need the help and support of people around them: other survivors, people they can trust.

I knew that my voice could be a tool to make change in the systems that failed me. So that is what I did. I spoke up and I spoke out.

My biggest flex and healing skill has been to rise beyond the ashes and soar, while helping others.

Samantha, Dawn and Neil are all survivors of sexual abuse / rape. They've each used advocacy to not only survive, but to also thrive.

Each time I tell a piece of my story, I know that someone will benefit from my words, and that is all that matters to me.

I found that engaging in advocacy work helped to combat feelings of powerlessness and helped me rebuild a sense of agency and control.

Our conversation will focus on the mental health toll on advocates for survivors of sexual assault and abuse.