Every day, more than 250.00 staff in 1,300 National Council member organizations across the country work hard to give nearly 6 million adults, children, and families with mental illnesses and addiction disorders a chance to recover and lead productive lives. In this section, we present some real-live vignettes of how community behavioral health providers make a difference in the lives of those they serve. We invite you to visit this page frequently for new stories.

These stories are submitted by National Council member organizations. To protect individuals' privacy, last names and real pictures are not used.

The National Council invites members to submit YOUR Real Stories, Real People to be considered for publication.

The National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations offers “Voices of Hope and Recovery: Our Stories, Our Lives” a series of CDs featuring personal stories narrated by those who have recovered from mental illness. They share the stories so others may learn from their battles and find an easier path to recovery. These stories demonstrate the power of the human spirit to prevail.

This is a fundraising project of the National Coalition. A portion of your purchase is tax deductible. Order the CDs at the National Empowerment Center Store at www.power2u.org/cdseries.html.