In partnership with the Petit Family Foundation and The Hartford, Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) has provided training and certification for 20 mental health recovery counselors to become the first-ever Connecticut facilitators for Whole Health Action Management (WHAM). WHAM is a peer-led recovery support program delivered by the National Council for Behavioral Health, and supported by both the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). WHAM helps individuals living with chronic health conditions to create sustainable new health behaviors. Preliminary research shows nearly 85% of WHAM participants across the U.S. have reached their whole health goals.
“The national partnerships, WHAM’s science-based approach, and the delivery through persons in recovery speak to the future of integrated care. We must start addressing the whole person. WHAM is an effective approach to achieving long-lasting health and wellbeing. MHC and our funding partners were thrilled to support this program and the agencies that are now implementing WHAM across Connecticut,” said Luis Pérez, MHC President and CEO.
Along with MHC’s own Independence Center in Waterbury, other WHAM facilitators are launching peer-run support group programs this fall or in 2017 at: Advocacy Unlimited’s TOIVO and Join Rise Be programs (Hartford), Bridges (Milford), Catholic Charities – New Heights (Danbury), Community Health Resources (Manchester), Continuum of Care (New Haven), Hartford Dispensary, Intercommunity (East Hartford), Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living, Laurel House (Stamford), River Valley Services (Middletown), Rushford (Middletown), and Veterans Administration (Niantic).
Delivered by the National Council for Behavioral Health, WHAM is supported by both SAMHSA and HRSA and is founded on researched chronic disease self-management programs such as HARP (Health and Recovery Peer Program) and science-based health and resiliency factors like the Relaxation Response, developed by the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Mental Health Connecticut is the first organization to bring WHAM to the state. Programs like WHAM are instrumental in supporting and sustaining the long-term health of individuals because it allows individuals to access their innate capacity to heal. This approach results in a greater chance of success to help address trauma and the vulnerability that often accompanies the emotional distress related to mental health and/or addiction and co-occurring physical health conditions. Learn more about WHAM: https://www.mhconn.org/education/wham
About Mental Health Connecticut
Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) is a statewide, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve mental health for all Connecticut residents. For more than 100 years, MHC has worked to improve mental health services, promote recovery for people with mental health conditions, educate the community about the importance of mental wellness, and combat discrimination resulting from a mental health diagnosis. For more info, go to: www.mhconn.org.
