Meeting Announcement

Details: Please join us on Monday, July 21, from 3-4 pm, EST, for a remote Q&A Discussion during which we hear and learn from speakers with a range of experience and expertise relevant to the Workgroup's mission and goals. 

Invited Guest: Chacku Mathai

Chacku (he/him) is an Indian-American, born in Kuwait, who became involved in consumer/survivor/ex-patient advocacy when he was 15 years old. Chacku’s personal experiences with racism and xenophobia related trauma, suicide attempts, and disabling mental health and substance use conditions, including psychosis as a youth and young adult, launched Chacku and his family into advocacy efforts for alternative supports in the community, with a special emphasis on youth, young adults, and families of color. He has since accumulated over thirty-five years of experience in behavioral health systems transformation in a variety of leadership roles.

He is a founding board member and current President of Friends of Recovery – New York, a statewide coalition of people in recovery from addiction and ex-officio board member for National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA). He also serves as a board member for Hearing Voices Network – USA (HVN-USA). Chacku also volunteers as a member of the Daniel’s Law Coalition, HOPEFirstRoc crisis response, and as a board member and facilitator for HVN and Alternatives to Suicide groups.

Chacku is also an appointed member of the NYS Behavioral Health Services Advisory Committee (BHSAC) and the appointed Co-Chair for the Equity Committee of the BHSAC. He is also appointed to the New York State Senate to the Daniel’s Law Taskforce.