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PENNSYLVANIA MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS' ASSOCIATION

Advocate * Educate * Promote Recovery

Youth MOVE Pennsylvania


The mental health consumer movement began in the 1970’s when former mental health patients began to organize groups throughout the nation with the common goals of fighting for patients' rights and against forced treatment, stigma and discrimination.  They also saw the benefit of and promoted peer-run services as an alternative to the traditional mental health system.  PMHCA was born out of this movement being formally organized as a non-profit membership association in 1986 and has been governed and run by individuals with the lived experience of mental illness since then.  

The Mental Health Recovery Movement has arisen out of the mental health consumer movement.  We have been active in establishing what essential principles and practices of service delivery support recovery and give opportunity for those experiencing mental illness to live full and active lives in the community. Our work towards this goal continues as we make sure our voices of recovery are shared with our peers and heard at all levels of planning and policy development in Pennsylvania.

Today, PMHCA is a statewide membership organization that is staffed with people who are willing to keep fighting just as their predecessors did. PMHCA is still completely consumer-run and consumer-focused.

Youth MOVE PA works under the umbrella of PMHCA with the same goal: to be sure that people across the lifespan are included in this fight for positivity and stigma reduction surrounding people who have mental health diagnoses. We are a team and work together on many different projects, trainings, and events.

Youth MOVE PA donations and payments will go to PMHCA as they host Youth MOVE PA's grant and budget. Please make checks payable to PMHCA and write in the memo: Youth MOVE PA. Or if you pay online, you will be directed to pay on PMHCA's website, write in the comment area: Youth MOVE PA.  

It is our vision that all young adults across the state of Pennsylvania will be active, respected and powerful forces of positive change in the delivery of social services and the design of social and public policy.

Leadership:

We are looking for people between the ages of 16 to 29 with lived experience in the areas of social services such as:

  • juvenile justice,
  • mental health,
  • child welfare,
  • foster care, and,
  • drug and alcohol services.

Also, if you have learned how to have the life you want, have succeeded in transition – being able to be successful in taking care of yourself - sometimes known as surviving the system, we would like to talk to you.


Social Media Links

Contact Us

Kevin Puskaric, email, Program Director

Zoe Small, email , Community Outreach Coordinator


Kevin and Tristan teambuilding at the Peerpocalypse conference, Seaside Oregon, 2022.

Youth MOVE PA Website!

Check out the new website for Youth MOVE PA Here:

https://youthmovepa.wildapricot.org/


PMHCA@pmhca.org

Office Phone: 717.221.1022



988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or Text 9-8-8

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