I’m Tracy.  I hope to help end the stigma surrounding mental illness.  I am a wife to an awesome guy named Terry,  a mom of two amazing boys – Bryce and Cole.  I love being outdoors.  I love my golden retriever, the Florida Gators, laughing, shopping, hiking, puzzles and being with my family.  I am starting this blog to try and make some small difference in the world!  I want this blog to tell our family’s story, but also be current.  I want to be an advocate for better support for people with mental illness.  I hope to help other families who are in crisis or have loved ones diagnosed with mental illness or who aren’t sure if they need to get help.  I want others to understand what mental illness is, that you shouldn’t be afraid to get help.  And I want people to know that things do get better, but that recovery is not always linear – there are bumps in the road and that is ok.

In addition to writing this blog, I give my time as part of the Sheppard Pratt Consumer Advisory Council, a group of family members, former patients, former students, and employees of the health system who are dedicated to improving our quality of care and enhancing recovery from mental illness and addiction. I also work part-time as a care specialist at Family Services, Inc., part of the Sheppard Pratt Health System, which develops and implements in-home and community-based prevention, early intervention and psychiatric rehabilitation services for children, adolescents, families and individuals.