Peer Study Assistant Lead
Egyptian Health Department
Eldorado, Illinois
Jeremy DeLapp is a peer leader at Egyptian Health Department in Eldorado, Illinois, where he serves on the CCBHC Governing Council, the Consumer Advisory Council, and as co-leader of a Peer-Led Evaluation team. Jeremy was born into a military family and raised in southern Illinois, moving to several small towns with his brother, father, and mother while his mother completed her education in social work and community counseling. As a child, Jeremey was studious, loved to read, and received high test scores, but that started to change as he entered middle school. By the time he was in high school, he was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and bipolar disorder, and assigned to an educational alternative program. He was also using alcohol and drugs. Jeremy received his GED when he turned 18 but experienced a set back after an episode that sent him to a psychiatric facility. Here, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and experienced a turning point in his life. He turned away from the alcohol, cigarettes, and soft drugs that had ruled his late teens. He experienced a blossoming sobriety, working in the janitorial industry at the local mall, and eventually started managing symptoms with an antidepressant. He moved back home with his mother and has been engaged in services with Egyptian Health Department since October of 2019. Jeremy credits counseling and peer groups at Egyptian with some of his progress and looks forward to the relationships at Egyptian more than anything else. Jeremy hopes to work to end stigmas and make mental health more welcoming for men.
Monday, May 1, 2023
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
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