Directory of Alternative Providers

FROM MATT MORRISSEY, BOARD MEMBER, MINDFREEDOM INTERNATIONAL

Help MindFreedom Build Directory of Alternative Providers

Dear Members of MindFreedom,

I’m writing to you with exciting news. We are ready to begin
constructing a new and urgently needed resource on MindFreedom’s
website: A directory of alternative providers for people in mental
and emotional distress.

I doubt that I need to convince anyone who is reading this email of
the potential value of such a resource.

This directory will be unique. In order to be listed, applicants will
agree to uphold certain principles at all times in the delivery of
their services.

You can read these principles here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/choice/alternatives

Many hours of volunteer work have already gone into the conception,
planning, and overall design of the project.

We now need your help to offset the cost of programming the database
and website, estimated to be around $900.

Any amount will help. The fastest and easiest way to make a tax-
deductible donation is through PayPal.

Please click here to donate on-line:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

Remember to type "directory" or some such phrase into the comments
field during the PayPal checkout, or after you donate e-mail the
office that this is what the donation is earmarked for:
office@mindfreedom.org.

You may also send a check to: MFI; P.O. Box 11284 Eugene, OR
97440-3484 USA, with a note that the donation is for the "directory."

I thank you in advance for your generosity.

Best,

Matthew Morrissey
Co-Chair, MF Choices in Mental Health Committee
email: creativerevolution@mindfreedom.org


MindFreedom International
454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

web: http://www.mindfreedom.org
office phone: (541) 345-9106
fax: (541) 345-3737
member services toll free in USA: 1-877-MAD-PRID[e] or 1-877-623-7743

Recovery Band Schedule

from Gerald Butler:

4/18/2008

We are dedicated to the premise that, when given the proper support, people can and do recover.

Recovery Band schedule for May

May

16th Northeast Guidance Center - Annual Retreat Luncheon - Grosse Pointe War Memorial

20th MACMHB's Annual Spring Conference - Hyatt Regency Dearborn

27th International Conf on Self Determination - Opening Session - Detroit Ren Cen

29th Gateway Consumer Awards Banquet (Luncheon)

29th International Conf on Self Determination - Closing Session - Detroit Ren Cen

30th Third Annual Empowerment Day - The Samaritan Center - 9:00am - 3:00pm

June

12th Gem Theater – Synergy Awards Banquet

Fischer Clubhouse

from Gerald Butler:
4/19/2008

I recently visited Fisher Clubhouse in Southwest Detroit and it turned out to be a very pleasant, enjoyable, and enlightening trip. I was well received into a relaxed atmosphere and the consumers made me feel very welcomed. I was immediately reminded of the real purpose of the Clubhouses. Many of us either forgot or never learned certain social and life skills and the Clubhouses play a major role in the recovery process. The Clubhouses are where we develop and hone those life skills. It was encouraging to see all these recovery-centered things going on at Fisher Clubhouse.

Through programs, seminars, conferences, etc. professionals advise us on the ‘in and outs’ of recovery. The Clubhouse is one of the few places where we find the ‘Open and Welcoming Environment’ (as recommended by the Freedom Commission) where we can apply what we have been taught. In the Clubhouses of the past we sat around, smoked and played cards all day. Today the Clubhouse is a beehive of learning, freedom, growth, and recovery. When I visit a clubhouse, the first place I look is into the consumers’ faces to see if they are happy and growing. The same sort of happy faces I saw at Fisher Clubhouse I also noticed on visits to ‘Friendship Clubhouse’ in Highland Park and ‘New Journey’ in Detroit. Those smiles are my best gauge of how well the Clubhouse is doing.

One month until Empowerment Day, the excitement is in the air and the ‘Recovery Band’ is on a roll. During May (Mental Health Month) we will be particularly busy doing gigs in the community. Patti Charleston, a Peer Support Specialist, has been working with the band on a special gift she will present at our celebration. Scott Davis, who until recently had never even heard of recovery, will be offering a song he wrote. Denise (D. C.) Holiday will be doing the song ‘Golden’. The main thing is how, through Peer Support, the band is growing closer to each other, and how that camaraderie reflects in the music we play. Yes, the ‘Freedom Train’ has left the station; next stop ‘Samaritan Center’ May 30^th at 9:00 AM.

Empowerment model of recovery

Daniel Fisher, MD, PhD, a person who has recovered from mental illness and become a psychiatrist, believes in the empowerment model of recovery, where "full recovery" is potential in everyone.

Fisher says, "One is capable of recovering from the mental illness itself, not merely regaining functioning while remaining mentally ill." He believes that entitlement programs should become more fluid, based on the capacity of the individual at the time.

Los Angeles Festival of Recovery

This event constitutes a common-ground breakthrough. Over 30 self help support group meetings, workshops and exhibits will provide information from traditional & alternative addiction recovery and mental health organizations and agencies and will be available throughout the day.

The Los Angeles Festival of Recovery

In the future we expect hold similar events in various cities across the country.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

- This event is being presented by the following Non-Profit Organizations -

SOS
Secular Organizations for Sobriety
(http://www.sossobriety.org)

SHARE
Self Help and Recovery Exchange
(http://www.shareselfhelp.org)

&

Project Return Peer Support Network
Los Angeles County’s oldest program run by and for people with mental illness
(http://www.mhala.org/project-return.htm)

Are presenting the first "Los Angeles Festival of Recovery".

This event constitutes a common-ground breakthrough.
Its purpose is to offer as many options as humanly possible, to address the needs of persons seeking tools for recovery for treatment of the all addictive substances and mental health disorders.

Over 30 self help support group meetings, workshops and exhibits will provide information from traditional & alternative addiction recovery and mental health organizations and agencies and will be available throughout the day.

This event will feature a variety of programs and methods including;
Scientific Programs
Medical Programs
12-Step Programs
Religious/Spiritual Programs
Plus
New Technologies and Research
(Including the use of Hypnosis by CHt's trained to work with addictions)

We respect recovery in any form regardless of the path by which it is achieved and are not in competition with any program.
Our purpose is to offer all the alternatives available

We’re taking over an Entire Building:

The Center for Inquiry/Los Angeles (Steve Allen Theater), all day, Saturday, April 26, 2008,

Free Workshops, Presentations, Demonstrations, Seminars, Talks by Major Presenters in the Addiction Recovery and Mental Health Fields
As well as Exhibits, Authors Book Signings, Film Showings and more

Representatives with Free Literature from numerous self-help addiction recovery and mental health support groups will be readily available to answer your questions

In order of appearance, presenters will include ;

Congressional Negotiations Close on Mental Health Parity

U.S. Senate negotiators are in the midst of reviewing the latest House proposal to require parity between mental health coverage and traditional medical coverage, and could move toward a response "in the next few days," according to a senior legislative aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

According to Connie Garner, Kennedy's policy director for disability and special populations, legislative counsel for the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee chairman are completing their assessment of the latest tweaks to the Mental Health Parity Act. The act would prevent plans that offer any mental health benefits from placing more restrictive conditions on mental-health coverage than those for medical and surgical coverage.

"At that point, we'll bring our coalition back together, and we'll look at what they have to offer and hopefully, the dissonance between those bills will begin to get a little bit smaller," Garner said.

Separate versions of the legislation have cleared each chamber in the past year, including the House's 268-148 vote early last month to approve the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (BestWire, March 6, 2008). That bill, H.R. 1424, would require employers and group health plans that offer mental health benefits would need to extend equitable coverage to all conditions listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Unlike a related Senate bill -- S. 558, which cleared that chamber unanimously in late September -- the House measure does not enjoy broad support from the employer and insurer community, which have complained the House bill includes provisions that could impinge on flexibility in benefit plan design and management of mental-health benefits. The Senate bill, by contrast, has been endorsed by America's Health Insurance Plans, the National Association of Health Underwriters, the American Benefits Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., the bill's primary Senate sponsor, expressed gratitude to Kennedy for leading the charge for updated parity legislation. Kennedy's son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., is co-sponsor of H.R. 1424.

"We have worked together for a number of years on mental health issues and we now have an opportunity to get mental health parity for the mentally ill in the United States. We're just within earshot of getting that done, and I look forward to that being done before I leave the Senate," Domenici said during a Capitol Hill briefing hosted by AHIP, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness.

Peer Support Worker

It's finally happening all over! Many agencies and hospitals are hiring Peer Support Workers to aid others in their recovery from a mental illness. In the past two years I have done over 100 talks about my recovery from bipolar disorder and have helped many people through my talks and the book I wrote and published. Twelve years ago when I was diagnosed with bipolar I couldn't find anyone to talk to and give me hope that recovery was possible. People are now coming forward to say they have survived and you can too! Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a walk in the park.......it took work to get this far. But my message for you is to not give up. You can make it no matter how bleak things may look. Your journey will be easier with someone to mentor and guide you and help make realistic goals for yourself. Bravo to the powers that be that recognize a peer support worker as being essential in recovery.

MadMarket

Full MadMarket Catalog

Lots of Books

Hope Is

from Gerald Butler:

4/12/2008

Hope is here in the sense that it is a power, which drives those of us who love peace and truly work for it. We must decide at this moment to love, at this moment to be just, at this moment to be devoted to the great principles of life. The Kingdom is already here in that it is in you. Desire has an “I” quality; hope always has a ‘we” quality, and can never be selfish. Dr. Martin Luther King

When we first get into recovery, there are some basic questions we ask ourselves, and they are: Who am I? What am I? Why am I? What are my limits? How should I behave? In reality, these are similar to questions most young adults ask of themselves prior to becoming independent. They then seek out people who will help mentor them in whatever direction he/she has chosen to go in life. Many of us who are now in recovery were in various stages of our illness during young adulthood and are just now seeking answers to these basic life skill questions. The mentors we seek are those referred to in the Freedom Commission Report as ‘The New Leaders of System Transformation”.

No one ‘hopes’ for a pleasant outcome without having a reasonable belief that it is possible. Our recovery is largely dependent upon our level of involvement in the process. To do well in recovery, we must seek out and work side by side with the ‘New Leaders’: those provide us with a belief that we are worth investing time and effort in. Armed with this belief, the next step in the recovery process is hope, which provides us with the strength and desire to work toward a better future for ourselves, and others in recovery. The ‘New Leaders of System Transformation’ 1) help us to answer the question ‘Who am I” 2) Provide us with the dignity, respect, and hope; we need to become the best of who we are.

Years ago when Pam Werner and Irene Kazieczko (Michigan Department of Community Health) first introduced Person Centered Planning to Michigan they were quite proud. However, after a few years they begin to notice it was not quite enough, something was missing. Not knowing exactly what she was looking for, Pam Werner spent nights and weekends for at least a year, surfing the net until she found ‘Georgia Mental Health Peer Support’. That still was not enough for them, so they established the ‘Recovery Council’ and spearheaded the drive to bring in ‘The Recovery Center of Excellence’. When I asked Irene if she thought her efforts would have as great an impact as they have she said “I knew that as an administrator, if I applied pure love in my decisions, I could help consumers heal”.

HOPE is unselfish and given freely. Sharing hope and love is why we have Empowerment Day. A consumer originated ‘Empowerment Day’. This year the flyers, agenda, decorating, themes, absolutely every aspect of this years celebration is being done by consumers. Our sole purpose is to demonstrate that ‘Recovery is Possible’. HOPE is a ‘we’ thing, and at this years celebration one of our ‘New Leaders’ will offer something very special. Veda Sharp (Detroit Wayne County CMH/ Director) will speak on the Agency’s progress toward System Transformation and on a bright future she has in mind for Wayne County consumers.

Leading up to Empowerment Day, ‘Recovery’ the consumer band will be playing the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards Spring Conference, opening and closing the International Self Determination Conference, and The Gateway Consumer Awards Banquet. By Empowerment Day we will have gained a lot of love and encouragement and will be passing it on to those for whom the day is all about. The Peer Support Empowerment Committee is proud of the work we have done to be able to dedicate this one-day to the consumers.

Gerald Butler

Peer Support Specialist.

SAMHSA and Ad Council Debut National Mental Health Anti-Stigma Campaign on College Campuses

Suicide is the Second Leading Cause of Death among College Students

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), working in collaboration with the Ad Council, announced today a program that has delivered their National Mental Health Anti-Stigma public service advertising (PSA) campaign for the first time directly to colleges and universities throughout the country. The campaign aims to reach 18-25-year-old adults and is designed to decrease the negative attitudes that surround mental illness by encouraging these young adults to support friends with mental health problems. As an extension of the campaign, new materials created specifically for college students have been distributed to colleges and universities nationwide.

Mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are widespread in the United States. According to SAMHSA, in 2006 there were an estimated 24.9 million adults aged 18 or older living with serious psychological distress, an indicator highly correlated with serious mental illness.

Paving New Ground

Peers Working in In-Patient Settings:

This is a PDF manual, about 1 Mb in size.

Psychiatric hospitals and state institutions have become increasingly aware of the development of peer specialist roles in inpatient settings and are showing an interest in establishing similar positions in their facilities. Roles for peers, once more common in outpatient settings, are now being created in inpatient settings. Despite the increase many hospitals are uncertain about how to establish and make the best use of these unique positions.
While recognizing there is no one correct way, this “lessons learned” guidebook will identify and highlight some of the hospitals in the country that have been most successful. Through the use of stories and narratives, we will go on a journey to learn about the average day of peer specialists, their special challenges and rewards, and what they most value in their positions. We will also meet their supervisors and hospital/institutional administrators. Whenever possible we went on site to meet personally with the individuals interviewed but since this was not possible in all cases, some interviews took place over the phone.
Learning through experience is the best way to learn. This guidebook will help us appreciate what is possible and to help other hospitals and peers envision and actuate their own futures.
This is no ordinary adventure; it is often spectacular to see what persons in recovery from mental illnesses can do!

A Long Strange Trip

"Greetings everyone,

Over the past year and a half, filmmaker Tom Ludwig
and I have been working with Lesley Crowell at
Kalamazoo Community Mental Health on a feature length
documentary. The movie, A LONG STRANGE TRIP, is about
an incredible group of people who tour the community,
telling their personal stories about what it's like
living with a mental illness.

A LONG STRANGE TRIP premieres Friday, April 25th at
WMU's Little Theater. Showtimes: 7 & 9:30pm. Admission
will be Free-Will donations.

For a city that's home to the Kalamazoo Psychiatric
Hospital (formerly the State Hospital), there's
clearly a need for more awareness concerning members
of our community living with a psychiatric disability.

Please join us for this special event to honor and
celebrate the efforts of this extraordinary group of
individuals.

Hope to see you there,

Matt Clysdale
HorsePower Pictures

ps: Below is a synopsis of the film. Attached is an
electronic flyer; it takes a minute to view.
Please help spread the word by
forwarding this announcement and flyer to anyone
interested.
Thank You!

(If you would like to be removed from this mailing
list, please e-mail me back with REMOVE in the subject
line)
------------------

A LONG STRANGE TRIP

Crazy as a loon, off your rocker, cuckoo, insane -
words and phrases we've all heard or spoken that make
light of people with mental illness. But for most,
living with a psychiatric disability is difficult and
complex.

A Long Strange Trip documents the PoWeR Group (Peers
for Wellness & Recovery), a team of mental health
clients who fight the fears and prejudices surrounding
mental illness with the power of personal testimony.
Touring southwest Michigan, the PoWeR Group hopes to
open the hearts and minds of legislators, college
students, church goers and any other audience willing
to hear their stories. Whether it's Tricia having
delusions of demons at 16 or Joe thinking satellites
are filming him in his apartment, each person opens a
window into the often misunderstood world of severe
and persistant mental illness.

But there's a fine line between telling your story and
living your story. Soon after rookie member Ian
delivers his first presentation, drug addiction
catches up with him in court. And when team members
accuse veteran member Jay of acting strange at a
presentation, a riveting struggle ensues over what it
is to be "normal".

Addressing that struggle are the Peers themselves,
working together in good times and bad. Join them on
the winding roads of recovery for a truly Long Strange
Trip..."

Reducing Stigma for American Military Personnel

This page contains the links to a recording and presentation on mental illness stigma for military personnel. I participated in the original webinar, and was truly impressed by the quality of the consumers and other participant insights. Well worth a listen.

"

Nearly 1.4 million men and women make up the existing ranks of active duty military personnel, serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, but research shows that America’s soldiers may not seek help when they are experiencing a mental health problem.

A 2004 study of 6,000 military personnel involved in ground combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan found that of those whose responses indicated a mental health problem, only 23 to 40 percent sought psychiatric help.¹ Many who did not cited fear of being stigmatized as a reason.² In June of this year, the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health acknowledged that “Stigma in the military remains pervasive and often prevents service members from seeking needed care” and made dispelling stigma one of their goals.³

This training will:

• Explore research on soldiers, including veterans, and mental health stigma.
• Offer first-hand accounts from people who have experienced mental health stigma in the military.
• Provide an overview of strategies that may help to promote mental health recovery and reduce stigma among members of the military."

Health Care for Michigan Campaign

Click the Title Link and learn about this petition drive to assure every Michigan citizen health insurance. This is our best shot at changing the rules in this critical part of life. People with mental illness often get little or no primary care. In fact, complaints about ordinary health care concerns are often discounted and attributed to the mental illness. This campaign can help to change this stigma-related stereotype.

The referendum doesn't dictate how health insurance would be provided. That would have to be decided by the Michigan legislature and the Governor (AND US!) if the referendum passes in November.

You can get involved and help reach the goal of 450,000 signatures, too!

Empowerment Day

The Peer Support & Empowerment Committee Along With Visions of Recovery Presenting:

THEME: “RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE”

When: May 30^th 2008

Where: The Samaritan Center 5555 Conner Ave.

Detroit, MI 48213

(Exit Conner; just South of 94 & follow signs)

Time: 9:00 am until 3:00 pm

Food? Yes! Delectable food will be served by a catering

Company

Email: empowermentday@yahoo.com to RSVP or to inquire about limited volunteering opportunities for the day of the event

Update if unable to attend to accommodate others who can. SPACE IS LIMITED

The Peer Support & Empowerment Committee Along With Visions of Recovery Presenting:

THEME: “RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE”

When: May 30^th 2008

Where: The Samaritan Center 5555 Conner Ave.

Detroit, MI 48213

(Exit Conner; just South of 94 & follow signs)

Time: 9:00 am until 3:00 pm

Food? Yes! Delectable food will be served by a catering

Company

Email: empowermentday@yahoo.com to RSVP or to inquire about limited volunteering opportunities for the day of the event

Update if unable to attend to accommodate others who can. SPACE IS LIMITED

Paragraphein: from para- “beside” + graphein “to write”

I made it through my first week at the new job.

I love the new company. Practically the first thing the executive director said was, “People work better without bosses looking over their shoulder. You need to feel free to be creative. I find that giving people space lets their passion and creativity drive them, and they do good work that way. We figure if we’re promoting the recovery philosophy externally, then we need to practice it internally; you’re an adult, you know what you need to do your job and to stay well, so do it. We’re flexible. If you need to flex your hours a bit, fine. If you need to go somewhere, go. If you need guidance, or mentoring, or ideas, or resources, we’re all here to help… but we’re not looking over your shoulder or telling you how to do your job. You decide how you do your job.”

(And after this speech, I nearly kissed her.)

As for the work itself… I feel a bit lost. Not for lack of ideas (have tons), but because there are decisions the steering committee of the coalition needs to make, before we can proceed full steam ahead. We have a teleconference next week, so that should help.

I spent this week glued to my computer, with intervals of being glued to the phone.

There are bits of history and politics I’m still figuring out. My direct supervisor was away this week (but called every day to offer hints and help). She’ll be back Monday morning; hopefully then she can catch me up on some missing pieces.

The work itself is so meaningful. This coalition I’m coordinating will be a big piece of the puzzle in transforming the mental health system in PA. Not because of me, but because of the people who will join the coalition. Because of the collective voices of people with mental illness who will have an avenue for making their voices, their collective wisdom and insight, heard. Because it is one more way to make services recovery oriented, person-centered, and driven by the people who receive services.

Recovery is Possible

from Gerald Butler:

4/3/2008

The coolest thing about being a part of consumer directed events has got to be watching people’s self esteem blossom right before ones eyes. When the ‘Peer Support Specialist Committee’ was first organized it was meant to be an Ad Hoc committee for Empowerment Day. From the beginning we had all sorts of safe guards in place to assure the ‘Committee’ was involved in every aspect of the decision-making process. Due to our Peer Support training, we no longer look upon each other in terms of “I am better than you’ but more as “Lets help each other recover and grow? So over the past few months, we have been learning some exciting things about ourselves and about the system of change.

Whenever a group of people assembles to complete a task, its success is largely dependent on how much respect the members have for each other. If the entire group is on the same page as far as outcomes are concerned, then the odd of success are even greater. As Peer Specialists we place high value on self-respect, respect for others, and that recovery is possible. Therefore it was easy for the committee to get right down to the task at hand, ‘Empowerment Day’. Each member of the committee wants the exact same thing: one day a year dedicated solely and exclusively to the consumer. Both logic and the New Freedom Commission Report dictate that for an event such as this to achieve its goal of consumer empowerment, consumers should handle all aspects of the event.

As we met and decided what needed to be done, it also became clear there was a certain amount of ‘Stigma’ on both our side and administrators. Administrators must accept the fact that consumers are capable of doing great things; all we need is the proper support. Consumers must first believe in ourselves, and then find positive leaders in the system of treatment that believe in us. We expected and received a certain amount of opposition: what we didn’t expect was the large amount of administrators who supported us for no other reason than they simply believed in us. It is not the big leaders in the system who do us harm. The really big leaders of the system are walking by our sides on the road to recovery.

The ‘Peer Support Specialist Empowerment Committee’ is proud to have been able to pour our hearts, souls, labor, compassion, and pure love, into this gift to those whose suffering has entitled them to the best the world has to offer, the Consumer. The biggest thing we hope will happen is that by the end of the day at least one person will have come to believe that: Recovery is Possible.

Gerald Butler

SAMHSA And Ad Council Debut National Mental Health Anti-Stigma Campaign On College Campuses

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), working in collaboration with the Ad Council, announced today a program that has delivered their National Mental Health Anti-Stigma public service advertising (PSA) campaign for the first time directly to colleges and universities throughout the country. The campaign aims to reach 18-25-year-old adults and is designed to decrease the negative attitudes that surround mental illness by encouraging these young adults to support friends with mental health problems. As an extension of the campaign, new materials created specifically for college students have been distributed to colleges and universities nationwide.

Mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are widespread in the United States. According to SAMHSA, in 2007 there were an estimated 24.9 million adults aged 18 or older living with serious psychological distress, an indicator highly correlated with serious mental illness.

Among 18-25-year-olds, the prevalence of serious psychological distress is the highest in the adult population, yet this age group was the least likely to receive treatment or counseling. Young people are more likely to seek help if social acceptance is broadened and they receive support and services early on.

According to fall 2007 data from the National College Health Assessment Report, more than half of all college students in the United States reported feeling “things were hopeless” and more than a third said they have felt during the past school year “so depressed it was difficult to function.” Additionally, almost one in 10 students said that they have seriously considered attempting suicide during the past year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reflection on GAINS

At the biennial GAINS Conference in Washington DC, members of the Behavioral Health Court team had the opportunity to connect with providers and justice system personnel. The GAINS Center is a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. As stated on the GAINS Center's website,

"The 2008 CMHS National GAINS Center Conference represents a unique opportunity for practitioners and researchers working at the interfaces of the criminal justice and mental health systems to network, learn, and share knowledge on creating effective services for justice-involved individuals with mental illness."

The importance of Forensic Peer Specialists was an enlightening experience for me at the GAINS conference. Forensic Peer Specialists are mental health consumers who can play a key role in helping other consumers recover from their psychiatric disabilities. In the beginning of their integration back to the community, some panelists shared the following: “I needed a reason why I should stop using drugs.” “Being mandated to a program is not the worst thing.” “You need to show up to do your part. Medication doesn’t make you totally better.” Over time, as a person becomes even more integrated into the community, the option of taking a Forensic Peer Specialist Training course can ultimately lead to work in human services organizations that provide services or supports to other mental health consumers.