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Westchester County Develops “Lives Forward” Program – Providing Dual Certification MH and Addiction Peer Training to Currently Justice Involved Individuals
The philosopher Søren Kierkegaard said, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Few things illustrate this better than using one’s lived experience to support another person seeking recovery from co-occurring disorders. Now formally recognized as “peer”...
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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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New York State Releases Landmark Maternal Mental Health Policy Roadmap
In a major step forward for maternal mental health policy, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has released a comprehensive 128-page report detailing actionable recommendations, systemic challenges, and aspirational goals to improve mental health outcomes for birthing persons across...
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A Harm Reduction Approach to Informed and Compassionate Care
Harm Reduction allows us to consider and implement practices that help individuals make safe, viable choices in support of overall wellness. Harm Reduction is also “a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs”1 and is “a key pillar...
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Staff Engagement Improves Patient Wellbeing in Psychiatric Settings
Inpatient psychiatric units are often the first point of stabilization for individuals in crisis, many of whom are experiencing acute anxietFy or depression. Standard treatment models include group therapy, individual sessions with psychiatrists and therapists, medication management,...
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Voice and Identity: Daughters and Sons of Parents with Psychiatric Experiences
Parenting with a mental health condition is common, yet widely unsupported. The following statistics may surprise you: according to Joanne Nicholson of Brandeis and Kate Beibel at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, 68% of women and 57% of men with diagnosed psychiatric disorders are...
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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...
