by Laura Walsh, FFIMI Member
The journey of having a loved one who not only struggles with mental illness, but is also justice involved, is a long, arduous path, often fraught with confusion and painful feelings of isolation. When my family entered this new reality, I had no idea how to navigate it. It felt like our loved one had been dropped onto another planet – one in which we had very little access to, did not know the culture and definitely did not understand the rules. Slowly, painstakingly, we have regained our footing. Though it is a challenge to fight for the rights of incarcerated individuals with mental illness, there are truly good people along the path. We really are not alone. Not only are there others going through similar struggles, there are friends, organizations and legislators joining in this important work.
It is in this vein that FFIMI has been gathering a collection of recommended resources to share with you – voices of helpful organizations doing good work and stories of people who have walked this path in one way or another. We hope it helps.
If you would like to recommend something to add to our resource page, please email ffimi.inquiry@gmail.com. We would welcome your suggestions.
Family and Friends of Individuals with Mental Illness 