About Major General Gregg F. Martin, PhD, US Army (Ret.), aka the BIPOLAR GENERAL, is a 36-year Army combat veteran, bipolar survivor, thriver, and warrior, and a retired two-star general. He commanded an engineer company and battalion, and the 130th Engineer Brigade during the first year of the Iraq War. A former president of the National…

About MJ Griego is a certified peer specialist and director of The Hope Center recovery learning center in Boston, which offers mental health recovery and community groups online and in person, as well as 1 on 1 support.  They have been interested in mental health and human connection from a young age, as well as…

About Laura Kaponer is originally from New York State. She relocated to South Carolina for the second time in 2015 after a difficult bout of depression. Walking into her first NAMI Connections meeting was truly a turning point in her recovery. For the next three years, her involvement waxed and waned based on where she…

About My name is Mary Phillips and I currently work at the BMC as a peer specialist.  We have support groups that people can come in person or join on zoom.  I am trained in three NAMI programs; NAMI IOOV, NAMI connections and NAMI peer to peer.  I began my journey to become a peer…

Biography Priestess Ziona is the CEO of AMRON International Organization and current Outreach Coordinator for Brockton RCC of South East Recovery Learning Community. She is considered a peer in the Mental Health Recovery community and volunteers throughout the peer recovery movement in various organizations. Ziona holds the Howard Trachtman Award, an Honorary Doctorate, amongst other…

Biography - Michael Siena I grew up in Connecticut and moved to the Boston area in 1994 to go to school at Tufts University. I left Tufts during my junior year in 1996 due to experiencing emotional distress and extreme states. I returned and graduated in 2004 with a degree in philosophy. Due to a…