By Isaac Brown, Director, Brooklyn Peer Advocacy Center
(January 2000)

The client's perspective on mental illness and on the mental health system receives limited attention in professional publications. Nevertheless, clients have a great deal to teach social workers and others who work in the mental health system about what mental illness feels like and what helps them to get better.

Recently, the Chapter asked a mental health consumer to describe some of his experiences. Isaac Brown is the Director of the Brooklyn Peer Advocacy Project, a program that provides a number of services for the mentally ill. These services are all peer run and are free. They provide a Bridger Program, designed to help people transition to community living after being on an inpatient psychiatric unit. Other services include a Housing Program, Geriatric Program, Advocacy Program and Self-Help and Socialization Groups. For further information, call 718 875-7744.

My name is Isaac Brown and I'd like to take this opportunity to share some experiences with you that were helpful in my recovery from paranoid schizophrenia. I am a mental health consumer, a survivor/patient who, with the gift of many people, was able to reach a point in my life that ended the revolving door syndrome where I was in and out of psychiatric institutions for quite a while.

I was first diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1982. Unfortunately this became my new identity. I had symptoms of delusions, auditory hallucinations, and profound feelings of guilt that I was to blame for major events in the world. I used to think I was invincible and would walk in front of cars. For about 2 months, I was homeless. During this period of my life, which lasted for quite a few years, I was in and out of many psychiatric hospitals. None of the hospitals ever provided me with outpatient care. Typically, they gave me some pills and sent me home. When I ran out of the pills, I would wind up in a psychiatric hospital within a few months. Usually the police brought me in because I was acting bizarrely.

The stigma associated with mental illness lasted for a long time. I used to sit in my home and cry, when I had a home to go to. My life was falling apart. I felt hopeless and that I had no future.

Finally, I was hospitalized at South Beach Psychiatric Center. For the first time, I was provided with outpatient services following my discharge that included medication and regular sessions with a social worker. Outpatient care broke the cycle of debilitating mental illness. I began receiving treatment and medication at the Fort Hamilton Outpatient Department. They medicated me with haldol and I still receive monthly injections. This is much easier for me because I don't have to remember to take pills. The medication is one piece of my treatment. It helps to keep my symptoms under control. I haven't been hospitalized since 1990.

South Beach and outpatient care also gave me other tools, including professional and peer support, to search for recovery.

My social worker, Steven Dukes, CSW, helped me in a way that was person first and professional second. His help was also person first and consumer second. His work with me was somewhat opposed to the traditional medical of doctor -patient model in which the doctor is aloof and sometimes condescending to the patient. This can be very disempowering when you are sick and feel unsure of yourself.

With my social worker, Steve, I simply enjoyed discussing artistic pursuits, music and my artwork. This gave me inspiration and confidence to display my artwork through the many people connected the outpatient treatment department.

Based on my experience, I'd like to explain to you some thoughts about how social workers help people with mental illness. Social workers help through asking about their client's physical health. Also important is to make sure that the client's housing is in order. Social workers help people with mental illness by seeing the person within the context of his or her situation and by exploring their environment.

Steve Dukes helped me out by sharing information regarding resources. He helped me make some good decisions for myself. Decisions made by me, not for me. This is itself is very empowering. I learned to trust myself again and have confidence in myself and in my ability to make decisions. I'm a strong believer in the Boston University Model of William Anthony. This model is an Intensive Psychiatric Training Model, which focuses on goals and values and helps people set and achieve their own goals. I believe in a model of recovery through rehabilitation, peer support, professional support, and self help.

Finally, I'd like to inform you of my current situation. My identity is no longer a paranoid schizophrenic. I'm a husband, father, director, artist, citizen, peer advocate, and human being.