Abstract  In the past 30 years, the consumer/survivor movement has been developing a consensus national advocacy voice. This chapter reviews three important components in the development of this strong and unified national consumer/survivor Voice: (a) A consensus by the movement that recovery, wellness, and complete community integration are attainable goals for persons labeled with mental illness in contrast to the traditional negative prognosis of maintenance during a life-long disability.; (b) Training programs in advocacy designed and carried out by consumer/survivors, such as Finding Our Voice.: (c) Building the National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations [Now known as The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR)], which amplifies the voice of consumer/survivors at the state and federal level.

Finding Our Voice: How Consumer/Survivor Advocacy is Transforming Mental Health Care (PDF, 4MB, 20 pages)