Paula Gonzales Rohrbacher recognized as the 2019 Sharron Lobaugh Volunteer of the Year
NAMI Juneau was honored to recognize Paula Gonzales Rohrbacher with the 2019 Sharron Lobaugh Volunteer of the Year. Rohrbacher became a member of NAMI Juneau, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in 2015. She quickly took on a variety of roles within the organization, including as a board member, program teacher, peer council member, and more recently as a support group facilitator. Rohrbacher has even stepped on stage and had us in stitches at Comedy for a Cause, NAMI Juneau’s annual fundraiser.
She has been instrumental in helping NAMI Juneau grow, organizers said. She was one of four members who started working toward expanding education and support programs for individuals managing a mental health condition. Since this time, Rohrbacher has taught several classes through a program called Peer-to-Peer. In 2017, Paula trained as a support group facilitator and has been a steady presence at NAMI Connection mental health support group meetings. She believes in the power of peer support and understands the importance of speaking out about the challenges of living with mental illness and reminding others that there is hope for recovery.
