Interview with Gab Rich, April 21, 2017

Gab Rich talks about her position at Atlanta Legal Aid as a paralegal in the Disability Integration Project. Rich recalls the early days of the Nick Project, a committee-led social project with the mission of providing services to people with mental disabilities who were institutionalized in Georgia State Forensic Hospitals. Rich talks about her initial involvement in the Nick Project and the ways in which the Nick Project has impacted the lives of individuals who suffer from mental illnesses. Nick explains the challenges faced in the managing the operations of the Nick Project, including the provision of adequate housing and challenges of confronting the stigmas associated with providing care for those with mental illnesses. Rich talks about the need for greater community awareness about mental illness.
Gab Rich graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Emory University and a Master's of Social Work and Community Partnerships from the University of Georgia. Rich has served in a variety of positions focused on the care of those with disabilities and child social work. From 2014-2017, Rich served as a paralegal in the Atlanta Legal Aid Society Disability Integration Project. There, she worked as part of legal team where she provided representation to those with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. During her time at Atlanta Legal Aid, Rich was also involved in the Nick Project, a committee-led social project that was missioned with the purpose of providing services for those with mental disabilities being held in Georgia state forensic hospitals. Rich presently works as a member of an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team, where she acts as a behavioral health clinician and provides therapeutic counseling for those receiving ACT team services.

2017-04-21

RBRL391GDC-016

46 minutes