Tim's Journal: Pat Roman Walks the Walk

Pat Roman moved to Clark when her daughter Traci was one year old, in time to celebrate her first birthday. That was in 1961.

In 2004, Traci died after a 25-year struggle with mental illness that “changed the family dynamics.

“It’s totally life-changing,” Pat said. “Your aspirations for that person come to a 360 degree turn.”

Pat recalls that she didn’t find NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, until 1999, when the Union County chapter was reestablished after years of being dormant.

Now, after 14 years with NAMI Union County, she serves as its president. In those 14 years, attitudes of the public toward mental illness have changed for the better, she said. “I’ve seen people more accepting—you don’t see that shocked look anymore,” she observes.

This is even truer with the younger generation. “They are more willing to seek help,” she said.  She has noticed that families that participate in the organization’s Family-to-Family course, designed to educate family members about mental illness, are younger than they used to be. “Their loved ones are younger, and they recognize they have to get help, she said.

When we started the program, we didn’t know if there would be enough interest,” she said. “Now, there’s a waiting list.”

That’s why she believes one of the major goals of the organization is to bring in younger members. “We need to get them involved so we can pass the torch,” she said.

Pat and her fellow NAMI members have certainly already done their share. The group is very active, sponsoring social activities for people with mental illness, an innovative police-training program, a valuable county-wide resource guide to services and public presentations on mental health topics.

Since 2005, NAMI has funded the Traci Roman Enrichment Scholarship, which awards $200 tuition to people with mental illness who want to take a course (not necessarily academic) to enrich their lives. The group has already given out about 60 scholarships. This year’s scholarship applications will go out in May—to apply contact NAMI Union County at namiunioncounty@yahoo.com.

She has also organized the first NAMI Union County “Rally for Recovery”, a walk to be held at Rahway River Park at 10 am Saturday, May 11. She said the state organization allowed local chapters to do their own walks this year because Hurricane Sandy left the site of last year’s state-wide rally of Seaside Park unavailable for a walk this year.  To register for the walk, go to http://namiwalks.nami.org/namiunioncounty.

Like many parents of children with mental illness, Pat says “I wish I had a magic wand to get the recovery going.” But she doesn’t, so she stays active.

“In NAMI, I’ve met some awesome people.  When people have a common interest it’s better together—with NAMI.”