🎧Stories of Healing: Rowan Willis-Powell
Recovery is possible...
This post is part of the accompanying tips, resources, interviews with experts, and stories of recovery included in the exclusive serialization of Cured: The Memoir.
There are so many stories to tell and be heard. To give a sense of how different recovery can look, I ask each person the same questions—with a few others thrown in.
In this interview, we discuss suicidality. If you’re having thoughts of suicide, speaking to someone can help. You aren’t alone. Call or text 988. If you don’t feel you’re a danger to yourself, call or text one of the many warmlines available to help.
I’m thrilled to bring you my interview with Rowan Willis-Powell (she/they). I had the pleasure to be interviewed by Rowan at the On Our Own of Maryland conference in 2022, and I recently got the opportunity to interview her and hear her story.
Rowan is an experienced systems transformation advocate, with special interests in young adult peers, the LGBTQ community and ensuring that everyone receives appropriate and individualized care when they are experiencing suicidal ideation. In her work Rowan connects and mentors’ young adults with lived experience in behavioral health service settings to peer support and leadership opportunities on community, state, and national levels. She recently joined C4 Innovations as a founding member of The Center for Youth Well-Being team. There they work to ensure that voices of lived experience are at the forefront of the work being done, and are supporting the efforts of numerous youth focused projects. She strives to create an environment in which young adults are partners in change for policy that affect service systems. Before joining the C4 team Rowan worked at On Our Own of Maryland where she ran three statewide grants, directed the What Helps What Harms youth-driven system quality feedback project, and helped run the legislative arm of the organization. Rowan is a member of Maryland’s first Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, is the facilitator and creator of numerous workshops, has presented two keynotes about mentorship and authentic lived experience leadership.
Rowan is extremely wise. Listen, enjoy, and share.
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Visit the Table of Contents and Introduction of Cured:
Find more resources for mental health recovery.
Read the prequel to ‘Cured,’ ‘Pathological’ (HarperCollins):
