2025 WRAP Symposium!

The 2025 WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) Symposium was held October 5 – 8 in Montana. What a fabulous event! Crestwood was well represented by Shanel Mayo and Greg Parnell, both Directors of Recovery, Education, Advocacy and Leadership, as well as Linda Downing, Recreation Director, and Sheila Schiltz, Recreation Assistant, from the Crestwood Bakersfield campus.

The event kicked off with Shanel leading a creative activity where participants decorated puzzle pieces that represented Wellness, which they put up on the wall. Next, Linda and Sheila led an activity with smaller puzzle pieces where participants wrote down their triggers and then created action plans on the other side.

On the second day of the symposium, Mary Ellen Copeland, the founder of WRAP, gave some opening comments and encouragement via Zoom. Later, Greg and Shanel presented “WRAP in the Workplace,” with the newly released WRAP at Work workbook in their hands for the first time – fresh off the printer. It was well received, and the bookstore sold out of all 50 copies they had.

Greg also supported Shanel in “The Dynamic Duo: Recreation Therapy and Wellness Recovery Action Planning” – another well received workshop. Linda and Sheila presented, “The Power of Play: Promoting Recovery & Wellness Through Creativity.”

Other conference highlights included great presentations by peer supporters from Japan and the well-known Horton Brothers presenting “WRAP on Reentry.”

The event closed with a Q & A session with Mary Ellen Copeland and her husband Ed. This was such a wonderful reminder of how WRAP is changing the world, offering us a roadmap for wellness, so we all have the opportunity to be the best version of ourselves. Thank you to everyone involved in putting together such an impactful symposium!