Daryl Bruflodt now leads the same programs that helped him through his journey with mental health struggles.
For more than five years, the Dubuque resident has helped lead a Connection Support Group and Peer-to-Peer recovery education course through the Dubuque chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
“I feel like it’s a chance for me to help people get to a place where I’m at, where I feel like I have a good understanding of my mental health and how to cope with it,” he said.
Bruflodt’s experience with NAMI began close to 10 years ago, when he started attending the support group and peer-to-peer course to manage his own mental health struggles.
Now, he volunteers as a peer support group instructor with the organization. He leads the support group every other week and teaches the eight-week course to help participants learn to manage their mental health.
Bruflodt also has helped lead an effort to put together NAMI recovery bags for people who have recently experienced a crisis. The bags include items such as essential oils, note pads with writing prompts and information about local resources.
