When Beth McCrave first discovered BPD Alliance, then known as NEABPD, she wasn't thinking about becoming a volunteer, a board member, or one day receiving an award. She was a parent trying to help her child.

Like so many families, Beth spent years searching for answers before finding Family Connections™, BPD Alliance's free course for family members. Back then, the program looked very different. After spending time on a waitlist, she eventually joined one of the organization's early, and only large scale telephone-based classes.

"It wasn't perfect," she said with a smile. "And I still got so much out of it."

That experience stayed with her.

Over the years, Beth went from participant to Family Connections leader, eventually serving on BPD Alliance's Board of Directors and as an international liaison. She helped train new leaders, traveled with the organization's founders, and worked alongside clinicians who wanted to bring Family Connections to their own communities. When the Managing Suicidality and Trauma Recovery (MSTR) program was introduced, she was there, helping expand another much-needed resource for caregivers.

This year, BPD Alliance recognized that extraordinary commitment by presenting Beth with the CARE Award for Access.

For Beth, access has always been about more than simply offering classes. It's about making sure families can find support when they're ready to ask for it.

"There was a time when access was really limited," she said. "It depended on where you lived and whether there happened to be a class nearby. Sometimes people were finally offered a spot after waiting months, but by then the crisis had changed. That moment when they were ready for help had passed."

Technology changed that.

What began with phone calls eventually moved online, opening the door for families across the country, and around the world, to connect without leaving home. 

"I still love the intimacy of small, in-person groups," she said. "People are comfortable connecting online now, and Zoom gives us so many ways to interact. Access has really exploded."

For Beth, those programs have never been just something she teaches. They've also been something she's leaned on.

"The support network I had through BPD Alliance was incredible," she said. "Those relationships carried me through some very tough times."

Today, Beth continues to volunteer by helping train new Family Connections leaders, ensuring that more families can experience the same compassion and understanding she found years ago.

She also knows the work isn't finished. More families need to know these programs exist before they reach a breaking point. More volunteers are needed to lead classes. And as awareness grows, so does the opportunity to reach people who may have once felt completely alone.

Looking back, it's remarkable how much has changed since Beth dialed into that first telephone class. What hasn't changed is the heart behind the work.

Every class that's offered, every new leader who's trained, and every family that finds hope a little sooner is part of the legacy Beth has helped build. The CARE Award for Access recognizes years of dedication, and perhaps more importantly, it honors the countless doors she has opened for others.