Projects to Empower and Organize the Psychiatrically Labeled

  Who We Are

PEOPLe is a non-profit 501©(3) organization whose mission it is to advocate for and empower individuals living with mental illness and to educate the general public about mental illness to reduce stigma and discrimination. PEOPLe serves individuals living in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, St. Lawrence and Hamilton Counties with plans to soon serve Putnam County. Additionally we are involved in helping mental health providers in Kings County, NY, Nebraska, and Holland.

We provide a broad range of services designed to meet the comprehensive needs of consumers including employment services, supported housing, peer advocacy, multi-cultural outreach, suicide prevention, socialization, and companionships. We are active in hospitals as ER advocates to help people in crisis, we operate a warm line, and we have championed a Hospital House Diversion model that is being replicated across the state and country. We work within the current system to remove the barriers to quality care, which all too often add to the burden of mental illness for individuals, their families, and our communities.

PEOPLe advocates for the transformation of the mental health system to improve people’s quality of life at the local, state and federal levels.

What we Believe

PEOPLe believes recovery from mental illness is a real possibility, and more individuals could recover from even the most serious mental illnesses if they had access to treatment and supports tailored to their needs in their communities. We practice recovery-based approaches to treatment including Advanced Directives, and the development of Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP).