Make an impact on someone’s life by sharing your time, knowledge, or financial resources. There are many ways you can help the Center for Excellence achieve its goal of providing high-quality, compassionate care for those with serious mental illness. Consider making a direct donation; advocating for client rights; assisting with educational services; or purchasing an item from our Brushes with Life collection.
It is true that some people with schizophrenia store their belongings in shopping carts and may neglect their hygiene, like Nathaniel Ayers, depicted in Steve Lopez's book, The Soloist. But it's also true that some people with schizophrenia hold chaired professorships at world-class universities, like Elyn Saks, PhD, who shares her story in the book, The Center Cannot Hold. These books illustrate that both of these individuals have added to the beauty and mystery of the world by being in it. And while not everyone with schizophrenia will make publication-worthy contributions, they all have the potential to find important work and develop meaningful relationships with the people in their families and communities.
Founded in January 2009, the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health is part of the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Addressing quality of care and workforce development issues in North Carolina's mental health system, the Center and its clinical programs are supported by a three-year grant from The Duke Endowment, as well as Cross Area Services Program (CASP)
funds. The program operates in conjunction with multiple university, state, and community-based partners.
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