[NYAPRS Enews] 'Honoring Celia Brown' from OMH Commissioner Ann Sullivan, Amanda Saake and the Office of Advocacy and Peer Support Services

[Harvey Rosenthal]

We've been seeing and getting an unprecedented number of photos and messages giving great honor and gratitude to Celia Brown for her lifetime of service and the grace and gifts she shared with us. Here's such a message from NYS Commissioner of Mental Health Ann Sullivan, Special Assistant to the Commission and Director of the Bureau of Recipient Affairs Amanda Saake and the Office of Advocacy and Peer Support Services.
Honoring Celia Brown- a Message from Commissioner Ann Sullivan

Today is a sad day for the peer community as we have lost one of the founders of the peer movement.  Celia Brown, who passed away in her home Sunday evening, was an amazing advocate both within the Office of Mental Health and through her leadership on the board of Mad Pride.  Celia was not only the first peer specialist in our state civil service system, but also in the country.  She helped to create and define the role of the peer specialist in our state facilities and her work is what made the peer specialist role become part of the standard of care for people receiving services.

Of her many accomplishments, Celia was most proud of her leadership in the Adult Home project including an emphasis on helping people discover their passion. That focused work was directly influential in the creation of the state's recovery centers.  She also recognized the importance of mutual support within the peer specialist community and worked diligently to create and then support the annual NYC peer specialist conference.  This was a great challenge and something that she loved doing.

Celia was assertive and firm in her convictions, yet always kind, respectful, and willing to consider different perspectives and beliefs. Celia was a role model for so many people in recovery, always an inspiration and she exemplified what is possible. Celia held onto hope and in doing so gave hope. As a woman of color, she offered leadership and guidance, demonstrating for countless individuals what it looks like to overcome multiple barriers.  One of her many strengths was not allowing the trauma that contributes to - and is a part of the experience of having mental health issues - to impact her relationships or willingness to trust and see the good in people.

One of the many beautiful examples of how she lived her life can be seen in how she honored her father's passing.  He was building a house in Ghana when he passed away.  Celia took on the responsibility to finish the job and went to Ghana every year to help fulfil his dream.  This is the person we lost today, someone who understood the importance of tradition and relationships.  Celia was the kind of person who was a natural healer and was always there for anyone who needed someone to talk to. To honor her spirit, let us all make an extra effort to take care of ourselves and each other, create space to be with uncomfortable feelings, and allow this moment to become part of our life experience as we continue her work of making the world a better place by being kind to each other and listening without judgement.

Sincerely,
Ann Sullivan, Amanda Saake & the Office of Advocacy and Peer Support Services (formerly the Office of Consumer Affairs)

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