Mental Health Consumers Hall of Fame

LINFORD GAYLE

Reach for the moon and get hold of a star. Sometimes your dream just looks different than you thought it would.

Born into an all Black community in Ohio, Linford grew up knowing no other culture than that of an African American man. Not only did he think everyone looked the same, but, surely, he thought, everyone felt the same as he did. When, in his teens, he came to the realization that he was gay, which was considered a mental illness at the time, he denied it to himself and those around him. That denial and developing uncontrollable symptoms of an undiagnosed mental illness, led him to drugs and alcohol.

At 32, living in a homeless shelter in San Francisco, he felt that if he could stop the drugs and alcohol, he would be alright, still denied his homosexuality and mental illness. He became clean and sober while at the shelter, began seeing a counselor, was diagnosed as having a bi-polar disorder, and began a medication regimen. The longer Linford remained clean and sober, the more he believed he did not need the meds since he truly could not yet accept his diagnosis. His life was becoming more and more unmanageable and he didn't understand why. It got to a point where Linford could no longer work for a living and he became disabled. Those caring for him told him to accept his life, complete the forms and live off of disability for the rest of his life.

But deep down inside, Linford knew this wasn't enough for him. His true road to wellness and recovery began as he began to accept being gay. Pulling from his inner spiritual faith, he also began to accept his bi-polar diagnosis and placed his recovery in the hands of a higher power.

Using acupuncture, alternative meds, exercise and diet to carry him to a place of wellness, he applied for the position of supervisor of a homeless shelter and was hired. Striving to help even more, he sought and acquired the appointment of Ombudsman for the City and County of San Francisco.

In 2004, Linford was selected as the first Consumer & Family Affairs Director for the County of San Mateo. This has given him the opportunity to actively build a team of advocates that will help the mentally ill for years to come. Recently, Linford took on a state level leadership role as a consumer appointee and vice-chair of the Oversight and Accountability Commission for the Mental Health Services Act. He continues to reach for the moon, using the light from the stars that are all around him.