Through the Fire

<P>Mental health touches every aspect of life in the United States: from police encounters to prisons, and from hospitals to housing, those suffering from mental illness are overrepresented and underserved. In <I>Through the Fire</I>, leading expert in the field of mental health law<I> </I>Fredrick Vars reveals that some of the most promising reforms are coming from within the community of individuals living with mental illness.</P><P>In this personal and compassionate survey of mental health in America, readers meet the real-life advocates working on the frontlines of reform. Through their stories, and bolstered by his own experience inside the system after suffering a psychotic break, Vars reveals that hopeful solutions are already in action. Illustrating key reforms such as respite housing programs, unique peer-to-peer services, and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), a highly effective but underused model for supporting people with serious mental health problems outside of institutions, <I>Through the Fire</I> shows that lasting change requires a paradigm shift: Mental illness is a disease, not a character flaw. Empowering people with mental illness to become effective advocates and mentors for themselves and others may be the spark to fuel much-needed change.</P>