Laura Anderson, Advanced CRE Laura Anderson, Treasurer, has personal experience dealing with mental difficulties and has this to say about her experience:
Laura has a through educational background. She studied Accounting at the National College of Business in Rapid City South Dakota. She continued her study of Accounting at the University of South Dakota where she also studied Art and Theater. In 1987, she attended Northern Virginia Community College to continue studies in Accounting and Art. In 1998, she graduated from MSU- Billings with Cum Laude honors and Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree. She also obtained a minor in Communication Arts and Theatre. She currently maintains a website which showcases her personal artwork. In 1999, she studied QuickBooks at the Lincoln Center in Billings, MT. Laura has many years of bookkeeping experience. In the 1980’s she worked for P& C Art, in Fairfax VA. For this company she worked with a programmer to make software that would track the art sales of five art galleries and a framing warehouse. She also computerized their bookkeeping system. In 1992, she worked for Phil Keith, of Phoenix, Arizona who owned four Bar/Casino’s in Billings, MT and computerized his entire operation including the balancing of all of the casinos. From 1993-1998, she computerized and maintained all of the records for MBM Auto and Truck Repair. As a bookkeeper, she maintained all of the records and had job duties that included, but were not limited to, accounts receivable, accounts payable, as well as, banking and balancing. From 1993 through the present she gained additional experience in record keeping for rental property, ranch and partnership business. She has had several decades of experience utilizing the computer software Microsoft Excel. At the present time, Laura is the Manager and Bookkeeper for the East Rosebud Lake Store where she has computerized the accounting system with QuickBooks Retail. She is a founding member of the Montana Peer Network workgroup. Laura took her first WRAP Workshop in 2005 from Vicki Stull. She says that it transformed her life and her attitude toward her mental illness. An avid user of her WRAP plan, Laura was trained as a WRAP Facilitator in 2006 and an Advanced WRAP Facilitator in 2008. The first workshop she co-facilitated was with Vicki Stull in Miles City. Since then she has co-facilitated approximately 5 Workshops in Billings with Jody Ferestad, through the Billings Crisis Center, 2008-2009, with Michelle Lewis in Helena, through Montana Peer Network, 2009 and with Mike Smith in Missoula, through Montana Peer Network, 2009. She believes in the power of Hope, Personal Responsibility, Education, Self Advocacy and Support.
Mary Protheroe, RN, CRE Despite a BSN in 1962 which led to a full career in nursing, and a very late diagnosis of bipolar depression, I had no idea of what daily wellness was in the face of chronic illness until I experienced WRAP- Wellness Recovery Action Planning in 2003. After years of trying to find ways to manage my “Early Warning Signs,” WRAP made it all come together. I am now in my seventies, fully engaged in life, volunteering three days a week, and facilitating WRAP in my community. I have been a WRAP Facilitator since 2006. I am proud to be member of Consumers Asserting Leadership in Montana (Montana Peer Network) I know the science of medicine and nursing. Now, I can add the wisdom and common sense of WRAP so that there is a balance and hope in my life. I use WRAP for three other chronic diseases that are a part of my life and they are responding positively. According to old friends, I look ten years younger and that is an unintended consequence of working my WRAP. I highly recommend it.
Michael Smith, Advanced CRE My Name is Mike Smith. I am from Anaconda, Montana. I have three children and three grand-children. I have a wonderful partner in life, Michelle Lewis. We share a beautiful teenage daughter. I graduated from Anaconda High School. I have held many challenging jobs and have had many roles in life. My first job was fighting forest fires for the State Department of Lands. I then went on to use my skills as a welder at the Anaconda smelter while working for Atlantic Richfield. I have worked on many labor jobs, at a cabinet factory, and have recent experience laying bamboo flooring. When I am not actively facilitating WRAP workshops, I am employed with Workers Now in Butte, Montana where their focus is matching workers with employers. When I attended Mary Ellen’s “Introduction to recovery” including WRAP workshop in 2005, things began to change in my life. I began to take responsibility for my own wellness. In the summer of 2006 I attended WRAP Facilitator training in San Francisco with Michelle, Molly, Laura and others from Montana. Michelle and I began a partnership in our business Wellness & Recovery Consultants. This enterprise is designed to promote Mary Ellen Copeland’s Wellness Recovery Action Planning™ (WRAP). In December of 2008, I had the privilege of attending Advanced Level WRAP Facilitator Training in Spokane, Washington with Michelle and Laura. Since that time, I feel that I have grown in my recovery and lead a fulfilling life. Beyond facilitating WRAP workshops, I enjoy fishing and going to the court to shoot hoops, I draw strength from my spiritual life. Exercising, lifting weights and utilizing taebo is an important part of my wellness. I have enjoyed facilitating WRAP workshops for the community mental health center advocacy groups and most recently Veterans and others in the military. These have been great mutual learning experiences that have enhanced my recovery. I am a founding member of Consumers Asserting Leadership in Montana (Montana Peer Network) My dreams and life goals include spending as much quality time with Michelle, my children and grand-children, working hard, enjoying my life’s work and securing retirement.
Michelle Lewis, Advanced CRE I graduated with Cum Laude honors from Texas Tech University in 1991. I have a B.S. Degree in Home Economics, Clothing, Textiles, and Merchandising. I have experience in business management and merchandising. I have lived in Butte, MT for 17 years. My life partner, Mike Smith, and I have shared over16 years together and have a beautiful teenage daughter. I have had a long recovery journey as I was hospitalized over twenty times in the first thirteen years and placed on over 30 medications following my diagnosis. My struggle with my mental illness and subsequent loss of my identity, to the illness, eroded my career, family life, and dreams. Deep depression coupled with periods of agitated high levels of energy dominated my life. I began my recovery journey as an active mental health consumer advocate at the local, regional and state level approximately ten years ago. I now serve on many boards and committees concerned with promoting mental health system transformation, including testifying at state legislative committee hearings, I am a founding member of Consumers Asserting Leadership in Montana (Montana Peer Network). Participating in Wellness Recovery Action Planning in 2005 transformed my life. I attended WRAP Facilitator Training in San Francisco in 2006 where I earned my WRAP Facilitator certification from Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery. Shortly thereafter, I established Wellness & Recovery Consultants with my partner, Mike Smith. This enterprise is designed to promote Mary Ellen Copeland’s Wellness Recovery Action Planning™ (WRAP). In December of 2008, I was chosen, by audition, to attend Advanced WRAP Facilitator Training in Spokane, Washington with my fellow peers and was certified by the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery as an Advanced Level WRAP Facilitator capable of training fellow WRAP facilitators to facilitate Mary Ellen Copeland’s “Introduction to Recovery” including WRAP. I am currently contracted through our business, Wellness & Recovery Consultants, as the state-wide WRAP Coordinator for Consumers Asserting Leadership in Montana (Montana Peer Network). I have facilitated WRAP in a variety of venues such as Community Mental Health Centers, Advocacy organizations, the Home-Based Community Services Waiver-SDMI and recently ventured into facilitating WRAP for veterans. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with peers, inspire hope in others by shining a light on them and validating the human experience as I am finding my vision of recovery fulfilled, in part, by working with others who are also on their recovery journey.
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