Find a mental health program that is supported by the New York State Office of Mental Health using the Mental Health Program Directory. Find an Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Provider and Program using this directory Mental Health America: Mental Health America’s website offers information and resources for people on mental health advocacy, policy, and programs. MHA’s work believes that mental health is a major component of wellbeing. Mental Health Empowerment Project: MHEP is a recipient run, not-for-profit that develops and strengthens self0help and mutual support recovery activities throughout the United States. They certify credentialing for NYS Certified Peer Specialists. Academy of Peer Services offers the only online training program for peer specialists in New York State. New York State Office of Mental Health website for consumers and families . National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery offers information for people who both use and support those who use mental health services. National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA: The CONSTACS are national peer-run centers that provide training and technical assistance to integrate peers and recovery in behavioral health services and promote evidence-based care for adults with serious mental illnesses. National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse: The Clearinghouse is a peer-run national technical assistance and resource center that fosters recovery, self-determination, and community inclusion. The Clearinghouse serves individuals with lived experience of a mental health condition, peer-run service and advocacy organizations, family members, mental health professionals and service providers, policy makers, and the public. Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion: The Collaborative is engaged in research and knowledge development activities that are translated into practical information to support full and meaningful community participation of people with mental illnesses. UIC Solutions Suite for Health and Recovery: The UIC Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery offers tools, curricula, and implementation manuals for free and immediate use in mental health centers, peer-run programs, or one’s own life. You can introduce the entire complement of products to foster improved health and recovery. Or you can choose the ones that will work best for your program or your life. The Suite is Co-Directed by Dr. Peggy Swarbrick. Its products are co-developed with the Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey. Psychiatry Disability Research, Disability Research Right to Know, Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation: This page provides research related to job accommodations, the Medicaid Buy-in program, Peer Delivered Services, Supported Education, and Supported Housing. Live & Learn, Inc. provides research on the organization, financing, and impacts of investment in peer support professionals, independent crisis support, peer-run programs and measuring peer support processes. Pillars of Peer Support: This website includes a library of shared resources, and opportunities to enhance the peer workforce. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. You can find a local NAMI affiliate on their website. Intentional Peer Support: This website provides information about intentional peer support, building relationships based on the power of mutuality. Two websites that evaluate mental health apps are Mind Apps and One Mind PsyberGuide. Source: “How to Find a Mental Health App That Works for You.” Human Services Research Institute: HSRI is a nonprofit, mission-driven institute that provides research, evaluation, program implementation, and data and statistical services to help create effective, person-driven service systems.

SAMHSA’s The Eight Dimensions of Wellness: This short, animated video explores the Eight Dimensions of Wellness and helps people understand the practical strategies and ways they can begin developing healthy habits that can have a positive impact on their physical and mental health. Side by Side: The Power of Peer Support: This short film discusses the value of lived experience and peer work. It features peer workers based in Edinburgh sharing their experience of this approach to mental health support and the potential future they see for this powerful approach to recovery. Voices for Choices: Fighting for Human Rights in Mental Health: Courageous individuals speak out about their experience with the mental health system’s use of force and coercion. They share about alternative approaches and healing modalities they have explored and their effective approaches to organizing and activism. Pat Deegan’s Medication Empowerment: In this video from February 2022, Pat Deegan shares information on her Medication Empowerment intervention..

People in Recovery

Are you interested in learning more about recovery?

Below you will find wellness guides and publications, videos, websites, and support lines that anyone can use to access recovery information.

Wellness Guides and Publications

Journey to Wellness Guide: This guide, written by Dr. Peggy Swarbrick, will “help you find new ideas to use to begin or continue on your personal journey, no matter where you are in your life. If you have ever experienced chronic stress, addiction, trauma, or another life challenge, you will find examples here that have helped many to pursue and continue a journey to wellness.”
Wellness Recovery Action Plan: This website provides information about wellness recovery action plans. It describes WRAP, and how WRAP can be a useful tool for people dealing with life challenges. There is also a blog on this website with stories of wellness in real life.
Get Self Help: This is an abbreviated version of WRAP and is adapted from the Wellness and Recovery Action Plan by Mary Ellen Copeland.
SAMHSA’s Recovery Pathways Report
SAMHSA’s “Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wellness”: Every aspect of wellness can affect a person’s life. Working toward all of them in one way or another is a great goal, because wellness relates directly to the quality of a person’s life. This guide offers a broad approach for things we can do—at our own pace, in our own time, and within our own abilities—that can help us feel better and live longer.
The Mental Health Effects of Racism: This infographic from The New York State Office of Mental Health gives examples of how racism affects our bodies and gives some tips for how to cope with racism and racial trauma.
Marrone, J. and Swarbrick, M. (2020). Long-Term Unemployment: A Social determinant Underaddressed within community behavioral health programs. Psychiatric Services 71:7, 745-748. This article explores the idea that unemployment is extremely harmful to someone’s health. Clinical risk factors related to long-term unemployment are identified as well as the inadequate response to them within the mental health systems of care. Individual and systems strategies to resolve this oversight are outlined.
Marrone, J. & Golowka, E. (1999) If You Think Work Is Bad for People with Mental Illness, Then Try Poverty, Unemployment, and Social Isolation. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 23 (2), 187-193. This article explores the negative effects poverty, social isolation and unemployment have and submit that their effects are more detrimental than living with a mental health diagnosis.
Applying Peer Support to the Top 10 Concerns About Person-Centered Planning in Mental Health Systems

Websites

Find a mental health program that is supported by the New York State Office of Mental Health using the Mental Health Program Directory.
Find an Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Provider and Program using this directory
Mental Health America: Mental Health America’s website offers information and resources for people on mental health advocacy, policy, and programs. MHA’s work believes that mental health is a major component of wellbeing.
Mental Health Empowerment Project: MHEP is a recipient run, not-for-profit that develops and strengthens self0help and mutual support recovery activities throughout the United States. They certify credentialing for NYS Certified Peer Specialists.
Academy of Peer Services offers the only online training program for peer specialists in New York State.
New York State Office of Mental Health website for consumers and families.
National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery offers information for people who both use and support those who use mental health services.
National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA: The CONSTACS are national peer-run centers that provide training and technical assistance to integrate peers and recovery in behavioral health services and promote evidence-based care for adults with serious mental illnesses.
National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse: The Clearinghouse is a peer-run national technical assistance and resource center that fosters recovery, self-determination, and community inclusion. The Clearinghouse serves individuals with lived experience of a mental health condition, peer-run service and advocacy organizations, family members, mental health professionals and service providers, policy makers, and the public.
Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion: The Collaborative is engaged in research and knowledge development activities that are translated into practical information to support full and meaningful community participation of people with mental illnesses.
UIC Solutions Suite for Health and Recovery: The UIC Solutions Suite for Health & Recovery offers tools, curricula, and implementation manuals for free and immediate use in mental health centers, peer-run programs, or one’s own life. You can introduce the entire complement of products to foster improved health and recovery. Or you can choose the ones that will work best for your program or your life. The Suite is Co-Directed by Dr. Peggy Swarbrick. Its products are co-developed with the Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey.
Psychiatry Disability Research, Disability Research Right to Know, Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation: This page provides research related to job accommodations, the Medicaid Buy-in program, Peer Delivered Services, Supported Education, and Supported Housing.
Live & Learn, Inc. provides research on the organization, financing, and impacts of investment in peer support professionals, independent crisis support, peer-run programs and measuring peer support processes.
Pillars of Peer Support: This website includes a library of shared resources, and opportunities to enhance the peer workforce.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. You can find a local NAMI affiliate on their website.
Intentional Peer Support: This website provides information about intentional peer support, building relationships based on the power of mutuality.
Two websites that evaluate mental health apps are Mind Apps and One Mind PsyberGuide. Source: “How to Find a Mental Health App That Works for You.”
Human Services Research Institute: HSRI is a nonprofit, mission-driven institute that provides research, evaluation, program implementation, and data and statistical services to help create effective, person-driven service systems.

Videos

SAMHSA’s The Eight Dimensions of Wellness: This short, animated video explores the Eight Dimensions of Wellness and helps people understand the practical strategies and ways they can begin developing healthy habits that can have a positive impact on their physical and mental health.
Side by Side: The Power of Peer Support: This short film discusses the value of lived experience and peer work. It features peer workers based in Edinburgh sharing their experience of this approach to mental health support and the potential future they see for this powerful approach to recovery.
Voices for Choices: Fighting for Human Rights in Mental Health: Courageous individuals speak out about their experience with the mental health system’s use of force and coercion. They share about alternative approaches and healing modalities they have explored and their effective approaches to organizing and activism.
Pat Deegan’s Medication Empowerment: In this video from February 2022, Pat Deegan shares information on her Medication Empowerment intervention..