Our History
Consumers Self Help was founded in 1986 when a group of Consumers banded together to advocate for a Consumer Run Program. We received a small grant of $20,000 from the County Board of Supervisors to start our program.
At first, the program rented meeting rooms at Churches and other non-profit organizations. Consumers, that is individuals who received mental health services, got together for peer support, and to advocate together for improved services. These were pretty informal gatherings
In 1989, Consumers Self Help became a private non-profit organization and by 1995 the organization was expanded to three separate programs: the South Center, North Center, and The Office for Patients’ Rights for Sacramento County.
In 2007, the contract for the Wellness & Recovery Center under the Mental Health Services Act was awarded to Consumers Self Help.
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Today, Consumers Self Help Center provides Peer wellness & recovery services in multiple Community Wellness Centers throughout Sacramento County, operates re-housing program, has a Peer Workforce program, and Patients' Rights Advocacy in Sacramento and Contra Costa County.
Through it all, we have remained peer-driven and peer-operated.
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The mission of Consumers Self Help is to develop and implement Consumer driven programs and services based on the self help philosophy to empower individuals with psychiatric disabilities
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