Bonnie Neighbour
[Note: An inspirational leader in Virginia’s mental health peer advocacy movement, Bonnie passed away in November 2024 at the age of 66. We were very fortunate to have known her and worked with her. We were proud to award her a Transformational Leadership Award at our 80th Anniversary event in 2017. Below are comments taken from the presentation remarks given by board member Alethea Lambert at that event.]
Bonnie’s career in the consumer (peer) movement touched many agencies and used many of her varied talents. It included work for Mental Health Virginia along the way. She facilitated our CELT (Consumer Empowerment Leadership Training) recovery program and developed curriculum for other programs and our Warm Line.
Her efforts, on behalf of peers across Virginia, began in 2007 and now span over a decade. Her resulting achievements are too numerous to adequately summarize in the few moments I have tonight.
The accomplishments Bonnie is most proud of, and that had the greatest impact for peers, are her accomplishments in the world of advocacy. I asked Bonnie what she was most proud of in her work thus far and what she felt has made the biggest impact. She stated: “Being one of the folks who was instrumental in developing a cross-perspective collaboration, and being part of making the peer voice, through VOCAL, sought after in the legislature.”
Her first year as a mental health advocate at the state legislature was January 2008, the first session after the Virginia Tech shootings. There were 280 mental health bills. Frequent observers of the legislature said of Bonnie:
“They listen to her. They put value in her testimony.”
“She is honest, open and connects with the audience.”
“Many people want to help, but Bonnie always brings it back to what the individual receiving services really wants.”
“She empowers people to tell their own story.”
One of Bonnie’s hopes is that her impact has been not only on the personal transformation of peers, but also on community transformation. It is a tough and ongoing challenge, and I think we can all agree that her leadership has been essential to moving that change along.
We are grateful for Bonnie’s leadership in Virginia’s peer community, and her challenge to continue pursuing community transformation for mental health.
It is our great pleasure to present this first MHA Transformational Leadership Award to Bonnie Neighbour.
