Office of Consumer Advocacy

An Office for Consumer Advocacy was established in 1994 to bring the consumer perspective into areas of policy making, perceptions and practices of the Division of Behavioral Health. In 2005, the Division Director created Recovery Services to focus on best practices for recovery, person-centered planning, freedom, resiliency, independence, peer support and productivity.

Other Department Initiatives

• Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children. This organization provides a united voice dedicated to improving services to children in Kentucky who have emotional, behavioral and/or mental health challenges. Visit its website at the link above for contact information.
• Kentucky Peer Specialist Training. This is a five-day training program designed to prepare adults with psychiatric disabilities to work as Peer Specialists in the Kentucky public mental health and state psychiatric hospital system. A Peer Specialist is an adult with a psychiatric disability who completes this training program and who passes both a written and an oral test.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness, Kentucky Affiliate. NAMI Kentucky is a statewide family organization dedicated to recovery and the improvement in quality of life for all those affected by mental illness in Kentucky. Visit its website at the link above for more information.
• The Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy was developed to increase the involvement of consumers in the planning and evaluation of mental health services, by enhancing their leadership skills. Consumers from each of the 14 regional community mental health centers were invited to participate. Fifteen consumers have completed Level I and Level II training and are now prepared to teach the Leadership Curriculum. If you are interested in learning more about this initiative, contact the Consumer Liaison shown in the Contact Information box.
• The Mental Health Consumer Advisory Committee. This committee comprises consumers, family members and mental health professionals. The committee meets four times a year to discuss issues of interest to consumers of mental health services. The Consumer Liaison works with committee members to accomplish the outcomes expected from Department initiatives. All regions of the state are represented in the membership.

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