September is National Recovery Month! All month long we will be celebrating recovery on the Hogg Blog, the Hogg Facebook page and our Twitter feed. We invite you to join us in the celebration and to learn more about this significant movement in mental health.

Recovery has been a critical development in mental health. The prior belief that mental illness was a permanent and disabling condition has changed. Now we know that people with mental health conditions can recover and lead full, productive and healthy lives. Recognizing that recovery is essential to the advancement of mental health in Texas, the Hogg Foundation has identified it as a top area of focus. It is our priority to encourage and support mental health consumers, youth and their families in their personal recovery and wellness journeys.
The Hogg Foundation is breaking new ground in the recovery movement. We are continuously thinking of new ways to be on the cutting edge of recovery by creating new organizations and initiatives, which include:We are dedicated to increasing opportunities for Texas consumers, youth and their families to participate in state and local policy making, grassroots advocacy, design and delivery of mental health services, and peer services and supports.

  • the formation of the East Texas Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, a pilot program to build leadership in mental health, recovery and wellness and to increase consumer and family involvement in the public mental health system;
  • the support of Via Hope, a training and technical assistance resource for mental health consumers, youth and their family members, and for mental health professionals;
  • the Advocates of Abilene policy grant, a $60,799 grant to conduct research on state and federal employment policies that relate to disability benefits and to produce educational materials in English and Spanish to explain the impact of employment on disability and low income benefits to consumers;
  • our involvement with the Texas Catalyst for Empowerment, a consumer-run, consumer-led organization with the goal of empowering a culture of recovery and wellness for people who have experience with matters of mental health;
  • and hosting the East Texas Conference on Recovery and Wellness, a conference held in 2010 that focused on recovery, wellness and involving consumers, youth and family in mental health systems and services.

Throughout the month, we will be highlighting these initiatives and sharing real recovery stories so stay tuned all of September to learn more about the impact we are making in mental health!