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If You’re Hearing “I’m Fine,” It May Be Time for a Deeper Conversation
As a psychiatrist, I hear "I'm fine" a lot. At the start of each session, I ask some version of, "How are you?" or "How have you been feeling since our last visit?" Inevitably, many people reply, "I'm fine." I hear it from patients, friends, and colleagues. I've even caught myself saying it when...
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Suffering in Silence: A Police Officer’s Mental Health Journey After a Critical Incident
Editor's Note: This article contains first-person descriptions of self-harm, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and other difficult experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text at...
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Integrating Peers in CCBHCs: The Power of Lived Experience
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) have shifted the way we approach treatment and the delivery of behavioral health services. Those who hold the designation of CCBHC have been tasked with providing a person-centered model that combines mental health services, substance use...
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Bridging Families and Systems: Family Peer Support in Children’s Mental Health Services
As soon as one learns that they are going to be a parent, the planning and preparation begins. It is a new journey. A journey that does not necessarily come with a handbook of how-tos, sure there are books, resources, literature etc. that can ‘guide’ you but there really isn’t a one tell all...
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The Power of a Peer Specialist: Sharing Lived Experience to Support Recovery
“It is people who go through suffering that have an empathy for the suffering of others.” - Mary Robinson The Journey Traveling through suffering is best shared. Learning from suffering and being able to pass on knowledge is a blessing. Working with mental health consumers, I can see...
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From Awareness to Action: How SAFE Workplace Mental Health Training Helps Workplaces Recognize, Respond, and Connect
Workplace mental health challenges are often visible long before they are addressed. Changes in mood, attendance, communication, focus, or behavior may signal that an employee is struggling, yet many workplaces lack a clear and practical way to respond. Supervisors and coworkers are not trained...
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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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The Impact of Peer-Based Storytelling on Workplace Mental Health
NAMI-NYC participant reflections illustrate why a peer-based approach matters. One participant shared that they did not know anyone in their life who had experience depression and that hearing a peer speak made them feel less isolated, saying, “I don't have anyone who has depression around me, so...
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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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Hope, Healing, and Peer Support: A Path Through Depression
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 1 in 5 teenagers experience depression, and 1 in 12 adults have experienced depression in their lifetime.¹ Depression can be a devastating illness; symptoms may include persistent sadness, hopelessness, loss of enjoyment in...
