For Ruth Pasillas-Gonzales, born and raised in rural California, encountering Community Access for the first time in 2005 truly was a life-changing moment. And it needed to be. "Moving 3,000 miles to New York City," Ruth reflects, "had left me very raw and vulnerable and day-in, day-out, I was suffering from serious depression." Things even got so bad for Ruth that homelessness started to seem all too real of a possibility.
Until, that is, she discovered our Howie the Harp Advocacy Center, a cutting-edge program that readies mental health consumers for careers in health and human services. "My life drastically changed," says Ruth, "as soon as I started my Howie the Harp classes. At last, I was at a place where I could move beyond my symptoms and hopelessness."
"At Howie the Harp," Ruth continues, "I felt unconditional acceptance of who I was—and yet at the same time we were encouraged to strive for a high degree of professionalism. The program was both nurturing and extremely comprehensive, with instructors who were all very knowledgeable and patient." Extraordinary results quickly followed, with Ruth developing workforce-ready skills while continuing to feel an ever-greater sense of personal well-being. "My heart healed, my capabilities grew, and I learned how to use my own unique life experiences to be a peer specialist."
Ruth graduated in 2006 and has continued to flourish ever since. Today, she is Assistant Director of the NYAPRS (New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services) Collective, a role in which she trains hundreds of mental health providers statewide every month. "It's hands-on and busy work," Ruth explains, "from arranging outreach, to creating curricula, to collaborating with co-workers and outside agencies."
Now certified as an Advanced Level WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Planning) Facilitator, Ruth provides trainings and technical assistance on recovery-oriented skills for multidisciplinary teams, often including other peer specialists. "It's incredibly rewarding," says Ruth, "I get to teach folks the good news that people can and do recover -- can, like me, go on to do more in life than just be a good patient."
"A lot of people have never seen another person with mental illness do anything besides take a pill and be in a program, so it feels pretty good when I can help be that beacon of light that proves otherwise." Even better, Ruth adds, "I get to see a lot of other Howie the Harp graduates out in the workforce, too. It's a special kinship that we share, and I'm always excited by how much we've all accomplished. We left Howie the Harp well-equipped to work, and now we get to enjoy the many benefits of that."
Howie the Harp initiatives are largely funded by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York State Office of Mental Health, the New York State Education Department Access-VR, Robin Hood Foundation, Oak Foundation, van Ameringen Foundation, and the Order of Malta, American Association.