“Sometimes careers are planned and sometimes there are just opportunities where you go,” says Maureen Bauman.
Bauman didn’t plan to become one of the Northern California’s foremost advocates for destigmatizing mental illness. That opportunity came through her role as director of the Placer County Adult System of Care, overseeing mental health services and drug and alcohol services for one of the fastest growing areas in the state.
Mental health professionals are making strides in efforts to increase understanding of the challenging field and Bauman is using her experience, education and persistence to advance the cause.
“One of the things with drugs and alcohol, and especially mental health, is the huge amount of stigma associated with these diseases,” Bauman says.
“People are afraid to say they have a mental illness. Sometimes we act like it’s this small sliver of people, but 25 percent of us have mental illness and may need treatment or intervention. Through the Mental Health Services Act we’re trying to de-stigmatize mental illness and help people understand it.”
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