(Statements gathered from Drop-In participants across the state of Michigan and compiled by Richard Wellwood)

A Drop-In is a place to receive and give information, to learn and to share, a place to learn to give respect and receive respect.  A Drop-In is a place to learn to decide to what you want to do instead of what others want you to do.  It is a place to use, not abuse.  It is also a place where people try to help each other within their own limitations, where one can’t depend on others to expect perfection.  It is a place where street drugs and alcohol are not accepted.

Drop-In Centers are places for people to interact socially, to be role models, to be honest, to be de-stigmatized, to find a friend and be a friend, to discover, to be creative, to be when in crisis, to find peace when in turmoil, to find understanding, to feel at home.  A Drop-In is a place that will help calm you down so you can focus on one issue at a time, so you can make your own decisions.  It is a place to share coffee and donuts, to learn about the community and the community about you.  It is a place to just express your dreams, to share your feelings about community mental health treatment, to feel, to be safe.  The Drop-In provides an opportunity and a forum for mental health consumers where issues can be discussed and addressed without fear of retribution from mental health professionals.

Consumer-run Drop-In Centers have spcific training and certification requirements. For information about Drop-In standards, read Consumers Hold the Keys: A Manual for Consumer-Run Drop-In Centers.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMS) published findings regarding the effectiveness of consumer-run programs in a report entitled Effectiveness Findings of a Large Multi-Site Study of Consumer Operated Services (1998 - 2006).

To locate a Drop-In Center in your area see the 2009 Michigan Directory of Consumer-Run Drop-In Centers.

For information on how to establish a Consumer-Run Drop-In Center and the availability of technical assistance contact:

Justice In Mental Health Organization (JIMHO)

(517) 371-2794

JIMHO.org

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Read Letter to Directors of Peer-Run Recovery Programs

View a list of Consumer-Run Statewide Organizations from the National Empowerment Center.

View the Directory of Consumer-Driven Services from the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse.