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Justice Peer Support: On the Trauma of (and Resilience from) Incarceration
Editorial Note: Given the recent NYS correction officers' strike, this article is especially timely. The strike, driven by concerns over staffing shortages and solitary confinement reforms, has coincided with the tragic deaths of nine incarcerated men (so far). This context underscores the urgency...
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How Gen Z Can Lead the Fight Against the Youth Mental Health Crisis
1 in 5 U.S. children experiences a mental health condition, and suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young people. In New York City, we are facing an unprecedented youth mental health crisis, and the systems in place to address these needs are failing—especially for those from...
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How My Suicide Attempts Made Me a Better Crisis Peer Specialist
Trigger Alert: If you or someone you know is disturbed by the descriptions of suicide (attempts) in this article, please consult a behavioral health provider or contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Past is Prologue for Premature Life and Death Car crash, asphyxiation, throat slash,...
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Suicide Prevention and Response: Fostering Trust and Safety in Vulnerable Communities
Suicide carries grief and mourning and encompasses assumptions, histories, and fantasies. It holds the dialectic of abbreviated narratives and hope-filled storylines for those who survive. 2022 U.S. data from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) indicates that 1.6 million adults...
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Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults
Social isolation and loneliness are health risks that affect a quarter of American adults 65 and older (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2020). Social isolation is defined as the objective state of having few social relationships or infrequent social contact with others,...
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Working Works: Considerations and Resources for Navigating Employment in the Recovery Journey
Behavioral health best practice incorporates a whole-health perspective that emphasizes wellness, is person-centered, and focuses on the whole person and their strengths, not their illness (Swarbrick, 2006). Occupational wellness, that “personal satisfaction and enrichment derived from one’s...
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Finding the Perfect Fit with Peer Support: Navigating Employment with Mental Illness
Searching for the right job, or even any job, can be stressful for weeks, months, or even years. The challenges may not even stop after obtaining gainful employment. They can bleed into maintaining that job, which then shields us from engaging in the stressful job search process. These challenges...
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The Road to Recovery Through Housing and Employment
People USA is thrilled to contribute to this important issue of Behavioral Health News on housing and employment. We first considered sharing data demonstrating our positive outcomes in these areas. Instead, we thought the true story of a person with lived experience would better illustrate the...
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Lived Experience as a Professional Pathway
The philosophy of The Mental Health Association of Westchester’s (MHA) housing and employment services and peer support is rooted in the principles of person-centered practice and the belief that individuals with behavioral health conditions – even those with histories of instability or little...
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The Critical Role of Peer Support Programs to Sustained Substance Use Disorder Recovery
Many people who have used behavioral health services can attest to the profound benefits of connecting with someone with shared experience. Finding others with common lived experience - often referred to as peers - and learning about their challenges and resilience are particularly valuable for...
