ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angela Vickers is a Jacksonville, Florida attorney and civil rights worker for those with mental illnesses. She is a full-time mental health advocate and national speaker. She promotes basic education about mental illnesses for lawyers, judges, faith leaders, and school children. An example of recovery, Angela has been well and on daily medication, since an episode of mania and her diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 1988.
Angela received the 2004 Clifford Beers Award of the National Mental Health Association, the highest award in consumer advocacy.
A person of faith, Angela and Dr. Gunnar Christiansen of NAMI Faithnet founded the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding. She wants faith leaders to learn that mental illnesses are medical problems, people do recover, and the faith community can help our nation achieve mental wellness.
As a member of the Florida Bar, Angela has tenaciously promoted mental illness education for all Florida lawyers and judges. Her efforts led the Florida Supreme Court to amend the Florida Bar RULES in 2001, making this possible.
Since 1997, Angela has promoted mental illness education for the school curriculum for grades Kindergarten through 12.
Angela has worked in medical research and hospital laboratories as a medical technologist, graduating from the Medical College of Georgia. She graduated with Honors from the University of Florida, College of Law, and worked in legal services and commercial real estate law. Her unique exposures to medicine and law, as well as living with the stigma and injustices linked to mental illness, have given her the determination to take on the impossible.