Join us for a live webinar.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Peer Self Advocates share their stories of hope. As individuals with experience navigating the mental health system, they have grown and persevered despite their challenges.

From their experience we will learn how they became motivated and passionate about teaching themselves and others how to self-advocate for their rights. In doing so they have empowered others to take action in their mental health journey. One important lesson we will take from their stories of hope is: recovery is possible!

ASL Interpreter Available

About the webinar:

PSA staff share their life journey! They will talk about their struggles and experiences living with a mental illness. They will also talk about their accomplishments advocating for themselves and teaching others to self-advocate for their rights. 

Please join us as they share about:

• Personal stories
• Mental health and culture
• Discovery of self-advocacy
• Accomplishments and a message of hope

Moderator:

Jesse Gilbert (they/them/theirs) is a PSA Trainer with Disability Rights California, they are a hearing person with lived experience with mental illness and experience navigating the mental health system. They have known American Sign Language for almost fifteen years and have experience working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities. 

Panelist:

Peer Self-Advocacy Staff

Zofia Trexler is a Peer Self-Advocacy Trainer with the Peer Self-Advocacy Program of Disability Rights California. She has lived experience with mental health disabilities and navigating mental health care system. Zofia has extensive knowledge in advocating for Transitional Age Youth (TAY) populations. 

Daniela Harvey (Harvey) is a Peer Self-Advocacy Trainer for the Peer Self-Advocacy unit of Disability Rights California. Their passion is to reach peers and to offer them a perspective of resilience and hope in their journey through the mental health care system. They are a person with lived experience with co-occurring mental health disabilities. 

Aurelia Sanchez is a Peer Self Advocacy Coordinator with Disability Rights California. She is someone with lived experience from a mental health condition and has overcome many obstacles throughout life. She is passionate about educating others in self-advocacy as well as sharing her life experiences with fellow peers to inspire hope and strength through their own personal journey. 

Aurelia believes it is important for peers to learn from others who have gone through similar experiences to create a safe space to share, build positive rapport and self-empowerment with one another.

Aurelia has experience as both a Parent Partner and Peer Support Specialist since 2016 and has obtained her Peer Certification in 2023 from the Academy of Peer Services in New York.