John Massolio
I am the Consumer Affairs Coordinator for Florida Health Partners, Inc., and I have extensive experience in both the insurance industry and advocacy, self-help and consumer empowerment. I graduated from Harrison Technical High School in Chicago, Illinois, and went on to become an Agent and Officer with John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. I spent 34 years with the company with documented outstanding sales, recruiting and fiscal management performance.
I was first diagnosed with Bipolar disorder over 27 years ago. At first I denied the illness as most people do. However, after a second episode, I decided that I needed to get some help. I found that reaching out to others who have experienced similar situations helped me in my own recovery and I sought out individuals who were also involved in self help and support groups and began participating in these groups. I decided that I wanted to other help individuals and share my experience with them.
This opened new opportunities for me in leadership positions with what would become national advocacy and self-help organizations, including the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (now known as the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance). I am the founder and past President of the Tampa Bay Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, a former Human Rights Advocate for Hillsborough County District 6, a former Board Member of the Florida Protection and Advocacy, Inc., and a Member of the Mental Health Care Inc. FACT Advisory Board.
In 2002, I agreed to come out of retirement to accept a position as Consumer Affairs Coordinator for Florida Health Partners, Inc. a Prepaid Mental Health Plan for Medicaid MediPass recipients that is comprised of traditional providers of community mental health services and ValueOptions, a national managed behavioral health care organization. I work directly with Medicaid recipients and am able to continue to offer my message of hope for recovery through support groups established at the mental health centers, in the community and by providing educational sessions regarding mental illness to area high school and middle school students through the Hillsborough County SERVE program and the Polk County Schools Great American Teach In. I also share my message of hope and recovery with law enforcement officers at Crisis Response Intervention Trainings in Hillsborough County to assist them in responding to crisis situations which involved individuals with a mental illness.
I plan to continue to answer the call to service that I have followed my entire life as demonstrated by my remarkable recovery, commitment to service, and continuing efforts to “light a candle” in what can sometimes be a very dark environment.