Cheri Bragg Acker, BA, MSW, was a kindhearted person, a mother, daughter, spouse, neighbor, friend, dedicated advocate, and an activist for lived expertise support options. If you were to ask her, she’d say she was a “soul yearning to dance wildly, breathing deeply, ‘neath the Moon and Stars, unfettered,” as she states on her Facebook page. At Mental Health Connecticut, we knew Cheri for her unwavering commitment to advocacy and support, particularly for family members and caregivers of those affected by trauma, a mental health condition, and substance use. With over two decades of experience in the behavioral health field, her influence as a state and national leader in Recovery Community Affairs is immeasurable.
Cheri’s advocacy was deeply shaped by her own lived experience, which enriched her work in peer support, community organizing, and the development of innovative responses to mental health, substance use, and trauma. She was passionate about equity, diversity, peer support, empowerment, artistic expression, connection, and community.
Her contributions to the mental health field have and will continue to make a lasting impact. As Program Manager and Creative Designer for the newly established Family Lived Experience Initiative at Yale, Cheri played a crucial role in designing the first Family/Carers Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy (LET(s)Lead) for the Australian cohort. Cheri was a powerful advocate for the rights and protections of individuals with a mental health condition through her work at the State of Connecticut’s Office of Protection & Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (PAIMI), serving as a family advocate at FAVOR Inc., coordinating efforts at Keep the Promise Inc., and working as a human services worker at Community Health Resources (CHR), Inc.
Cheri also volunteered extensively for organizations such as the Connecticut Legal Rights Project (CLRP), Witnesses to Hunger – New Haven, and Manchester Community Services Council.
Her legacy will live on in the hearts of her loved ones, in the contributions she’s made both personally and professionally, and as part of the lives of everyone she’s touched.
“One of the honors in my life was to serve on the PAMI Advisory Council where I met and collaborated with Cheri. She helped me shape and reshape what we must do as leaders to ensure recovery pathways are inclusive of all. As an advocate and an ally of MHC’s mission ‘to create environments that support long-term health and wellness,’ she will be greatly missed. As a person, all who knew her will feel her loss but can hopefully find comfort in having known her. Our deepest sympathies are with Paul, her beloved husband, partner, and friend. We are here for you Paul.” – Luis B. Pérez, President & CEO, Mental Health Connecticut, Inc.
