Celia Brown is a psychiatric survivor who was instrumental in developing the first peer specialist civil service title in the country. Celia works for the NYS Office of Mental Health in the Bureau of  Recipients Affairs. She facilitates training and technical assistance to recipients and peer specialists in their journey of recovery. A long-time activist and leader in the psychiatric survivor movement, she serves on the board of the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA), and was a founding member of the National People of Color Consumer/Survivor Network.

Celia is Board President of MindFreedom International and serves as the organization's primary representative to the United Nations on the International Convention for the Rights of People with Disabilities. With other ex-patients and allies, she was a founder of the International Network for Treatment Alternatives for Recovery (INTAR), which held its first meeting of alternative practitioners and psychiatric survivors in 2004.

In addition, Celia was the conference planner for  the first 2007 alternatives in mental health conference sponsored by MindFreedom International in Connecticut. Celia has presented nationally and internationally on topics such as self-help, peer counseling, advocacy, trauma and cultural competency. She is the proud mother of a 13 year old son.

If you would like to contact Celia Brown, please email her at cksean@aol.com