What Matters Most
Young People in Recovery
What Matters Most is a project to inspire young people struggling with their mental health early on to voice their views on what’s happening to them and what matters most to them in recovery.
For many of us what matters most is getting better so we can pursue the things that are most meaningful to us. Having a good relationship with our families. A meaningful career. Financial stability. Friends. Girlfriends. Boyfriends. A family of our own. Purpose. And, above all, getting the support we need to get there while feeling respected in who we are, in our identities.
These are some of the things that we hear from young people in recovery. What are the things that matter most to you?
If you are a young person beginning your recovery journey, we hope these real-life stories will inspire you to find your truth and share it.
If you are a provider or someone who cares about a young person who is struggling, we hope these stories will help you build trust and support them to stay engaged in recovery.
Are you a provider interested in more information or training about this topic?
Check out the following resources:
Delivering Culturally Competent Care: OnTrackNY Guide
Using the Cultural Formulation Interview (50min Online Training Module)
PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS
What Matters Most is the result of a collaboration among multiple partners. We want to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations for their contributions, creativity, and support.
New York State Center for Cultural Competence at NYSPI
Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, MPH (Project Director), Amanda Cruz, MS, Samantha Diaz, MA, Ryan Primrose, BA, Hilda Eitzen, PhD, Rebeka Fuentes, MA (Cand.), Elmer Miranda, BS, Ariel Quiroz, BA, & Roberto Lewis-Fernández, MD.
STAR Center at NAMI
Chacku Mathai, CPRP, Tanya Ryder, M.Ed, & Elise Padilla, MSW, MBA
Lipp Studios
Amanda Lipp (Cinematography)
OnTrackNY
In addition to the contributions of its staff and teams, OnTrackNY was instrumental in fostering the participation of young people with lived experience throughout the video development process, from its conceptualization to final editing.
OnTrackNY Teams: Nannan Liu, Ed.D (Washington Heights Community Services, New York State Psychiatric Institute), Tia Lewis, PhD (Mental Health Association of Westchester) (*), & Rachele Cohen, MSW (Hutchings Psychiatric Center)
OnTrackNY: Emily Grossman, MA, CPRP (*), Cindy Chang, BA (*), Justin Scott, MSW (*), Igor Malinovsky, PsyD., & Lisa Dixon, MD, MPH
(*) Formerly with OnTrackNY