Painted Brain

Creating Lasting Community Based Solutions to Mental Health Challenges and the Impact of Social Injustice through Arts, Advocacy, and Enterprise.

SERVICES

To Build Community

Painted Brain Groups

Groups

Our groups are facilitated using the psychosocial rehabilitation model through various mediums of art, music, and poetry.

Painted Brain Trainings

Trainings

Our Medi-Cal Peer Support Certification program offers peers an opportunity to be certified as a Peer Support Specialist in the 17 Core Competencies. Our other trainings cover Digital Health Literacy, Digital Security, and Social Media Marketing for nonprofits.

Painted Brain Center

community Center

Check out the Painted Brain Community Center when visiting the West Los Angeles area where you can meet like-minded individuals living with mental health and trauma challenges engage in enriching activities, developing life-long friendships.

Painted Brain Events

Events

Have the Painted Brain team of peers support your agency in organizing an event which includes supporting with the technical setup, hosting/facilitating, and managing the administration end to ensure the planning, marketing, and execution is successful.

Certification

Become a Peer Support Specialist

In 2009, we began utilizing the arts and training to support people with mental health and substance use challenges. We are a leader in innovative peer-driven services and training in behavioral health, digital literacy, and the arts.

Our reach and staff are representative of the diverse communities throughout California, including the LGBTQ+, reentry, disability, and ethnically and linguistically diverse communities. Our peer-run program is a trusted provider of services that has been transforming lives in California for over a decade.

PB’s Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Training program prepares peers to deliver valuable behavioral health support services by covering the required Peer Support Specialist 17 Core Competencies required for Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Training through self-reflection, skill building, practice sessions, and guided group exploration.

“Painted Brain has the best DNA of any small non-profit I have ever worked with.”

Gary Shenk, CEO of Wave VR

“Painted Brain's community center and program services are unlike any other mental health agency that I've seen in the 30 years of working in the field.”

Keris Jän Myrick

“Nobody sends flowers when you're in the mental hospital but Painted Brain is there when you get out. Their creative community is changing the way people think about mental illness.”

Dr. Elyn Saks, Scholar, Well-Renowned Author and Peer Advocate

 

Dr. Kristen Ochoa

Dr. Kristen Ochoa

“Painted Brain has been a great support for our clients, helping them feel valued, build community, socialize and engage positively and grow in their independence through group leadership opportunities. We are grateful for their partnership.”

Christopher Schnieders

Christopher Shnieders, Director of The Saks InsTitute

“Painted Brain is transforming lives and supporting our advocacy efforts on multiple projects to improve the quality of care and protecting the agency of those living with mental health challenges to get the adequate care they need to establish recovery.” 

Tod Lipka, CEO of Step Up

Tod Lipka, CEO of Step Up

“Connections to others and a sense of belonging is vital and essential to the recovery process. Painted Brain has provided exactly such an important connection and creative arts community, using the commonality of mental illness, for over ten years. Painted Brain has been of tremendous value to many Step Up members during that time.”

Get Involved With

Our Vision

.Join our community of peers redefining the mental health system of care to improve access and the quality of treatment.

more programs

State-Wide initiatives

September 25, 2020

We thank Governor Gavin Newsom for signing SB 803 (Beall). SB 803 will enable California to expand the behavioral health workforce by allowing certification of Peer Support Specialists. With the passage of SB 803, California will now be in line with the 48 other states that already recognize peers’ value.

Painted Brain is collaborating and heading statewide to nationwide research and program development. Learn more about our projects below and how you may be able to get involved.

 

Project New Start

Project New Start

Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD)

PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCE DIRECTIVES #PADS A LEGAL RIGHTS DOCUMENT

Disability Roundtable

Publications

Featured On

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Unapologetically

black unicorns

#UBU

#BLACKMENTALHEALTH PODCAST

SPONSORED BY JANSSEN

Co-founder Rayshell Chambers shares about Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) and her mental health recovery story.

Join Today

Sign up to get access to support and resources in your area and join the community of Painted Brain members living with mental health, trauma, and justice-involved challenges.

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