Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To discuss the benefits of working with a multidisciplinary team from the patient and family perspective. SUMMARY: According to patients and their families, stigma is the primary barrier hindering treatment for depression and is followed by a web of access to care, mental health parity, and medication issues. The Mental Health Integration program strives to eliminate these barriers by emphasizing consumer- or patient-driven treatment, family support, and community-based solutions. CONCLUSION: Working with a recovery model--"You are not alone, treatment works, recovery is possible, and there is hope"--the National Alliance on Mental Illness brings the family and consumer voice into the Mental Health Integration program, with the intention of effecting more widespread impact.