Health Equity Research Lab

bvr

Black Voices: Pathways 4 Recovery

 

blacks voices in recovery

Black Voices in Recovery was created by and for Massachusetts residents with lived experience of behavioral health, trauma, substance use, and/or addictions as in support of each other’s recovery. Anyone who identifies as Black and has a lived experience of mental health conditions, trauma, and/or substance problems is encouraged to join us in our work. We decided on the term Black to include all of our brothers and sisters from all continents, not just North America.  

Valeria chambers, coordinator

Valeria Chambers is the Coordinator of Black Voices: Pathways 4 Recovery (formerly Blacks United in Recovery), where she provides leadership in all aspects of the development of program and policy initiatives.  An essential dimension of this work is convening community members and training teams to integrate culture-specific approaches and language that expresses culturally resonant themes regarding behavioral health concerns and behavioral health recovery. As a person sharing lived experience of a mental health condition, she is active on the State Mental Health Planning Council and has completed a 5-year term as co-chair of the Department of Mental Health Multicultural Advisory Committee.  Chambers holds a Master’s degree and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Counseling and Consulting Psychology. She received the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Mass 2007 Heroes in the Fight Award for the Peer Specialist Certification Training Team.

 

mission

  • Promote self-determination, self-empowerment, advocacy, activism, and support in Black communities to promote psychological wellbeing. 

  • Educate to reduce mental/health disparities. 

  • Mitigate the effects of racism and implicit biases in systems

  • Reach out in order to reduce alienation. 

  • Speak out in order to reduce discrimination.  

  • Emphasize healing, connection, and wellness of mind, body, and spirit.

vision

  • Black communities around us have greater understanding, knowledge, and skills to recover from the impact of trauma, addictions, and mental health concerns.  

  • There is access to an informed community of diverse individuals with the lived experience of these issues in all stages of the recovery process.  

  • Wherever needed, in community spaces we view as safe, there is a strong working partnership with culturally relevant peers, providers, policymakers, civic leaders, and other stakeholders.  

  • We thrive in an affirming community, have wellbeing and connection to each other, and our voices are respected, heard, and valued in the world.  

  • We promote growth and healing within ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world. 

 

Recent Publications