Did you know there are more options for people with mental illness than just outpatient treatment programs associated with hospitals or government run programs? Many cities have consumer led drop-in centers which provide a wide array of services. They also encourage the consumers to provide peer to peer support for each other. These drop-in centers are usually free and consumers don't have to use their insurance benefits to participate. Services provided at these centers can focus on anything from a supportive environment to job skills training to enter or return to the work force.

Personally, I attend a center which focuses on peer led support groups. Each week, we have groups such as: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, anxiety management, spirituality, and trauma recovery. Although each group is peer led, those who want to facilitate a group must take classes and attend on going training so that they can act as an effective group leader. In between groups - consumers hang out and socialize. We can also take advantage of using the center's computers, watching TV, listening to music, or working on art projects. The center also acts as a wonderful information source. Those seeking to learn more about managing a mental illness can find a wealth of information in the center's library or meet one on one with a peer specialist.

Other centers focus on what is called ta work based day. This model addresses the consumer's need to do meaningful work (whether on a volunteer or paid basis) and helps those who want to obtain jobs in the community to do so. Each day, those who attend the center are separated into groups. Some work as volunteers - contributing to the upkeep and running of the center. Others go to work based training sites, and still other go to actual jobs in the community. The jobs in the community are obtained through the center partnering with local businesses to match their need for employees with consumer's need for employment. A center like this provides a great program for those seeking rehabilitation to get out into the work force.

In addition to the on-site services, many centers also provide different types of outreach services. Some provide phone services for those who are experiencing emotional distress. Instead of hotlines - these are called warmlines. While consumers often risk having police and paramedics summoned to their home when they call the typical suicide hotline, warmlines focus on providing those who call in with safe peer support. The center I attend is currently working with local police to educate them about mental illness. A partnership is even being formed with a group of police who have crisis intervention training so that they can call a selected few consumers for advice if they are in a situation where they are dealing with a mentally ill individual while on duty. The goal of this program is to increase the safety of those with mental illness during encounters with the police.

Consumer led centers are a wonderful source of support and information that steps outside the traditional therapy environment. People are able to benefit just as much from peer led support as from groups led by mental health clinicians, if the support is done in the correct way. More and more large cities across the United States are becoming home to not just one consumer led drop-in center but multiple ones. If you are dealing with a mental illness, I highly encourage you to seek one out in your area and see what it has to offer.

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