Ivette

Hi, I am Ivette. I am a Peer Support Specialist at Austin Mental Health Community, at the “SHAC”. I started there as a member in 2018, after suffering a terrible crushing ankle fracture which left me in the hospital or nursing facilities for close to a year. A career call center manager and guest service specialist, the accident changed my very active life to many hours of physical therapy, and depression. I started attending support groups at AMHC to help me with my mental health and participate in their wonderful discount access bus ticket program. I found such help there that I began volunteering in the office making calls, giving tours, generating reports and anything else that was needed. I realized that the Hispanic population was underserved, there were no group facilitators that spoke Spanish. Other members would translate during meetings, that was very frustrating for all. I decided to become a Peer Specialist.  I now facilitate the Spanish support group and co-facilitate other groups as I am needed.