Many people in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community have experienced rejection, discrimination, isolation, or pressure to be someone they are not. These experiences can have a profound impact on mental health and well-being. Research consistently shows that when people experience acceptance, connection, and community, outcomes improve. Feeling safe enough to be yourself in this world matters. Feeling welcomed, respected, and accepted for who you are matters. For many people, recovery is

This article reflects my personal experiences and recovery journey. Everyone's experience with trauma, mental health, and recovery is different. It took several years, multiple diagnoses, therapy, and a lot of self-reflection before I began to understand that many of my mental health challenges might be connected to trauma. For the sake of PTSD Awareness Month, I wanted to spend some time reflecting on that connection. Like many people, I thought PTSD was something that prima

Peer support is built on lived experience, trust, and connection. When people feel understood, outcomes begin to shift. Research shows that peer support is associated with reduced hospitalizations, stronger engagement in services, and improved recovery outcomes—while also supporting something less measurable but just as important: a sense of belonging, hope, and possibility.

When peers share their stories, something powerful happens. Stigma begins to loosen. Assumptions are challenged. What was once flattened into stereotype becomes real, layered, and human. Storytelling can also support systems into beneficial changes.

Explore our acitivities and outings this month for May at Pier 360.

This shift from rules to values gives our team members opportunities to be who they are.

Pier 360 Executive Director, Brad Berry, was hired 20 years ago today. We take a moment to honor his steady, often unseen service and leadership over the years.

Twenty years. March 2026 will mark my twentieth year as the Executive Director of Pier 360. It has been a remarkable experience, and it is because of the peers that have worked here and the peers that have actively engaged in their recovery, both past and present. The thing that has stood out for me through the years is just how creative and resourceful our peer community is when it comes to finding a way to get things done. This is why innovation is one of our Core Values .

Courage shows up quietly here through a staff game of Show and Tell. Instructions: Bring something meaningful to share. A creative project. A passion. A practice that grounds you. A small piece of yourself. Share it online. Sometimes courage looks like holding something close to your heart and saying, “This matters to me.” So far, Pier 360 staff members Vincent , Cat , Allison , Jeannette , and Chiara have shared pieces of what sustains them. Allison shared an original song

Thirty years ago, Consumer Voices Are Born began as a peer-run organization committed to advocacy and support. It was a courageous act by the founding group of peers because the odds were against them, they had few national and no regional peer-run agencies to learn from in 1995, and stigma against people living with mental health challenges was in high gear. They, however, persevered eventually gaining nonprofit corporation status with the federal government in 1997 and se