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    Putting Mental Health Back in the Hands of Communities

    For years, our mental health system has been unable to meet the needs of the people who rely on it most. This was true before COVID, it worsened during the pandemic, and the current climate has pushed things to a breaking point. Too many individuals cannot access care because they cannot afford it, it is not offered in their language, it does not exist in their community, or their insurance will not cover it. Others have been harmed or dismissed within the healthcare system and no longer trust it enough to seek support. The result is an enormous and widening gap.

  • Holding Space, Not Judgment: Sarah Ahern on GPS for People in Recovery

    When Sarah Ahern talks about GPS Group Peer Support, she is not describing a program on a flyer. She is talking about a space her community has needed for a very long time. Sarah has spent years in the world of recovery and harm reduction. She trains and supervises coaches across Massachusetts, supports people coming…

  • “We’ve Seen So Much”: Why Faith Communities Need Group Peer Support Now

    At Deliverance Center Ministries in Springfield, Massachusetts, Pastor Mark and Co-Pastor Johnetta Baymon have spent decades ministering their community through loss, postpartum depression, substance use, and the everyday trials that stretch families thin. With 20 grandchildren and a spiritual family that extends across dozens of churches, they’ve built a life of service rooted in faith,…

  • A Community Choosing Healing: St. Thomas Lutheran Church & GPS

    Sometimes a community decides, quietly and courageously, that it wants to love people better. That’s what happened this spring at St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Indiana. They reached out to GPS because they wanted to create spaces where people who have been hurt—by religious trauma, by exclusion, by silence—could finally exhale.

  • Bullying Leaves Scars Others Can’t See: When One Child Hurts, the Whole Family Hurts

    Bullying doesn’t end when the words stop or the classroom empties. Its impact lingers quietly in the body, mind, and heart, leaving scars others can’t see. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, isolation, and even suicidal thoughts often follow long after the initial harm. What we don’t always talk about is how bullying doesn’t just happen to one child. When one child hurts, the whole family hurts.

  • Finding Connection and Stability in Uncertain Times

    As the government shutdown continues to ripple across communities, many people are feeling the weight of uncertainty — emotionally, financially, and personally. At GPS Group Peer Support, we know that moments like these can shake our sense of safety and stability. That’s why we’re opening our doors wider than ever, offering spaces where people can…