The Story of REACH

Dreams Do Come True!

In September 2000, NAMI-Virginia (National Alliance for Mentally Illness in Virginia) convened a group of 13 peers from throughout Virginia.  Their task was to select a peer education program they wanted to see implemented statewide.  Three days and nine programs later, WRAP was unanimously chosen. WRAP is the Wellness Recovery Action Plan developed by internationally recognized Mary Ellen Copeland.

It took a long time and a lot of advocacy effort for all of the right pieces to fall into place to make this peer choice a reality.  In the Fall of 2003, things really started moving.  Through a collaborative effort, WRAP founder Mary Ellen Copeland from Vermont, the peer Organization and Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC) from West Virginia, and META Services from Arizona sponsored a 5-day training conference on Implementing Recovery and WRAP in Your Mental Health System.  Mary McQuown--future REACH Program Director, and Cassandra Nudel and Brian Parrish--from the VOCAL Program Support Center, attended.  They were able to learn skills and tools for implementing statewide recovery education initiatives, meet with representatives from successful recovery education programs across the country, and develop and present an implementation plan for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Soon, a proposal was submitted by VOCAL, Inc. to the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS).  The contract was awarded to VOCAL and REACH came to life on April 15, 2004.