Jade Baughan

Peer Support Team Manager

I know the difference it makes to know you aren’t alone and that your feelings are valid. I lost a family member to suicide, struggled with my own feelings of hopelessness; but when life felt too exhausting to continue, I found hope in family & friends. I want to support the hopeless with kindness & understanding, knowing those gifts helped me when I needed it most. Asking for help can be a hard first step, but we are here with an abundance of help and hope.

Hope is hard to find when you’re looking at the top of a mountain, from down below, with no climbing gear to help you up. I inspire hope by helping friends take things one step at a time, look at the step directly in front, rather than the daunting whole. Hope comes by allowing yourself the grace to make mistakes and leaning on those who care to help you.

I believe recovery starts when you start speaking about your mental health. Taking your pain out of the darkness and bringing it to light has a way of releasing the unknown burden of holding it in. I found healing when I started to openly express my feelings, clearly share my emotions, and set healthy boundaries. Recovery takes time and when you let people in that have experiences like yours, they listen, they offer tools and you heal.