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The Peer Advocate: Role Model, Listener, and Problem Solver for Older Adults
Peer Advocates have changed the way that we practice behavioral healthcare at Service Program for Older People (SPOP) – and have changed the lives of the older adults we treat. SPOP is a community-based behavioral health provider for older adults (55+) based in New York City. We serve...
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Meeting Crisis With Connection: The Power of Peer Specialists on Mobile Crisis Teams
Over the past several years, New York City has increasingly shifted toward community-based responses to behavioral health crises. In the past, individuals experiencing psychiatric emergencies were often limited to hospital emergency departments or interactions with law enforcement. While those...
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Healing, Growth, and Purpose: Becoming a Peer Specialist
On January 14, 1980 (my birthday) I sat at a drafting board at Island Drafting and Technical Institute in Amityville, New York, beginning my journey as a mechanical draftsperson. One thousand hours later, I earned my certification and was placed through the school's employment services at an...
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Lived Experience, Lasting Impact: The Role of Peer Support in Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Programs
Beginning an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is not just about addressing symptoms. Many participants enter treatment carrying uncertainty about the process, wondering whether it will work and how they will manage future challenges. Even with strong therapeutic relationships and...
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City Voices: A Peer‑Run Legacy of Connection, Recovery, and Community
In 1995, a man named Ken Steele began what he described as his recovery from a “30‑year schizophrenic odyssey.” His story stretched across the United States — from Hawaii to New York City — through periods of homelessness, halfway houses, and profound disconnection. Everything changed...
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Re-imagining Conservatorship: Recovery and Career Planning Through Peer Support
For most young people, career guidance centers on traditional roles—doctor, teacher, engineer, builder. Rarely does anyone tell a child struggling with a mental health condition that their experiences might one day qualify them for a career rooted in healing, empathy, and shared understanding....
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The Power of Integration: How Combining Evidence-Based and Holistic Therapies Creates Lasting Mental Health Recovery
Mental health recovery isn't a one-size-fits-all journey. While traditional approaches like medication and psychotherapy have helped millions, a growing body of research shows that combining evidence-based treatments with holistic practices creates the most powerful path to lasting wellness. This...
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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Is Transforming Depression and Anxiety Care
Depression affects an estimated 280 million people worldwide. Anxiety disorders impact more than 300 million. These conditions are not just occasional moods. Many live with symptoms such as, and not limited to, persistent sadness, fatigue, loss of interest, and excessive worry that can interfere...
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Helping Transition Age Youth and Young Adults Achieve their Goals
As with all young adults, a central focus for Transition Age Youth and Young Adults (TAYYA) ages 16 to 25 with serious mental health challenges is building a life in the community. Doing so requires completing their education and getting satisfying work. If these young people have spent serious...
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Peers: An Essential Component to the Behavioral Health Workforce
What makes a well-rounded behavioral health workforce who can deliver innovative, person-centered services that can affect change for the better? For Federation, the answer is Peer Specialists. Peers have become an integral part of the behavioral health workforce and Federation has been a pioneer...
