Articles of Recovery & Empowerment
Lessons from the Geese • Definitions of Recovery • Elements of Empowerment
The Rise of Consumerism
The Wellness and Education Coalition and Advocacy Network of Colorado, simply known as WE CAN!, is a statewide grassroots organization run by and for consumers. We are adults of every age and standing in society who share one commonality: a psychiatric diagnoses or the extraordinary experience of extreme emotional states.
We acknowledge and respect the entire continuum of mental disorders. Over the years, we have become empowered to advocate for one another and hold each other in support and solidarity. As a group we possess rich experiences which include poverty, wealth, recovery, stigma, discrimination, acceptance, emotional suffering and joy.
WE CAN! is building a strong effective advocacy network in Colorado of individuals that are psychiatrically labeled. . Our Mission Statement states: "A voice for Colorado consumers and supporters that embraces mental wellness through education, personal and systems advocacy and leadership for empowerment and recovery." We take our mission seriously. We do everything we can to be a voice for ALL Colorado consumers.
We hold networking meetings across the state, typically one per month. We are striving to outreach into the most rural and frontier areas of the state. We ask for feedback at these meetings and when we return to the WE CAN! offices, we send the area's mental health center and Behavioral healthcare organization a letter detailing that feedback.
WE CAN! also runs the statewide and consumer designed, developed and implemented empowerment program: The Colorado Leadership Academy. Leadership Academy graduates are the foundation of WE CAN!. Graduates are placed within the community and become part of our grassroots network of trained advocates that help others in their recovery, especially by advocating for their rights and also teaching them to advocate for themselves.
WE CAN! operates within a set of core values which includes the premise that we are people of value that hold a place in society. We support the President's New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health, Mental health: a Report of the Surgeon General, and the writings of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration such as:
". . . people with mental disorders have a vital role to play in our families, our neighborhoods, our communities, and our country. Their ability to participate fully can no longer be derailed by outdated science, outmoded financing, and unspoken discrimination. They demand better, and they deserve better. Putting children and their parents, adults and older adults with mental disorders at the heart of the health care system must be accomplished now."
"Transforming Mental Health Care in America. Federal Action Agenda: First Steps" SAMHSA, US Dept. of Health and Human Services 2005
If you are interested in social equality and justice for all persons affected by mental health issues, we invite you to become part of an exciting venture
