In his 43 years Howie T Harp, Howard Geld, accomplished more than many will in their entire life.

Howie had a profound impact on everyone with whom he came in contact with. For several years he lived on the streets and earned a living from playing the harmonic which is how he got the name Howie the Harp(mouth Harp). His first-hand experience with the suffering and hardships of being homeless and living with a psychiatric disability enabled him to speak and act effectively on the behalf of thousands of other Americans who have found themselves lost in an endlessly revolving psychiatric care system.

Originally from New York City, he dedicated his life to liberating recipients of mental health care. He helped create the Mental Patients Liberation Alliance in 1971. Additionally, Howie founded the Oakland Independence Support Center in Oakland California.

In 1993 he started working at Community Access, a premium housing and advocacy organization in New York City. Howie became the director of advocacy.Through Howie’s influence, Community Access was given an entire new outlook on Community Access’ programs and procedures and embraced the peer recovery movement.

As a result of Howie T Harp, Community Access is one of the few mainstream housing organizations with a commitment that 50% of its employees have a psychiatric disability. In addition the respect to consumers among all staff is directly attributed to the work of Howie T Harp.

A former staff member at Howie T Harrp, Clive Burnett, said of Howie “Howie was never disabled in his compassion and services to others. He was like a flame that ignited the lives of those around him. In so doing, he illuminated the darkness and void of the shrouded mental health system.”

Unfortunately Howie T. Harp passed away in 1995 shortly before his vision, the Howie T Harp center opened.

• New York Times (2/14/95): Howard Geld:

Howie the Harp was the first Director of Advocacy for Community Access, a not-for-profit agency helping people with psychiatric disabilities make the transition from shelters and hospitals to independent living.. He was born and raised in New York City. and was hospitalized for more than a year at the age of 14. At the age of 17, he ran off to become a part of the survivor movement.

Howie became involved in formal advocacy through the Insane Liberation Front in Oregon in 1971 and returned to New York shortly thereafter to begin the Mental Patients Liberation Project. He also founded or helped found Project Release in New York in 1975 and several advocacy groups in California in the 1980's.

"I've been diagnosed as a schizophrenic, as psychotic, as manic-depressive and as psychotic depressive," Mr. Geld said later. "I don't really believe in those labels, but there have been times in my life when I went into what can be called a manic episode, and when I went into severe depressions. What I'm doing with my life right now is trying to learn how to control what I call manic energy. If it can be controlled and directed and channeled, it could be really valuable and real powerful. I'd rather learn how to control it, rather than be cured of it."

While institutionalized, he had trouble sleeping, and a night attendant taught Mr. Geld to play the harmonica. He said he got his nickname, Howie the Harp, when he played his harmonica on the streets of Greenwich Village to earn money for food and a place to sleep.