Illnesses don't recover. People do.

Pat Deegan's Recovery Approach focuses on the person instead of the illness and offers hope-filled tools, technologies and training for people, families and providers. Using Pat's Approach, people can get and keep the life they want, and staff gain the knowledge and skills for practicing true recovery-oriented care.

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Pat Deegan: Disruptive Innovator

Patricia E. Deegan Ph.D. is the founder of Pat Deegan & Associates (PDA). For over 30 years Pat has been a thought leader and disruptive innovator in the field of behavioral health recovery.

Pat Deegan's Recovery Approach includes the award-winning CommonGround Software, Recovery Academy, Medication Empowerment, Certified Personal Medicine Coaching and the Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation.

Pat is an activist in the survivor movement and has lived her own journey of recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager.

She has held several academic appointments, has numerous publications, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world.

Learn More About Pat

In the Spotlight... 

June 2023

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Certified Personal Medicine Coach Kick-Off: London Calling 

June 1, 2023

We're excited to have a new cohort of Certified Personal Medicine Coaches beginning their 11-week journey toward certification. This group will be led by our CPMC-T's Cerdic Hall and Umair Khan.

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Certified Personal Medicine Kick Off: Southwest VA CSB's

June 1, 2023

We're excited to have a new cohort of Certified Personal Medicine Coaches beginning their 11-week journey toward certification. This group will be led by our CPMC-T's Heather Peck, Devin Perdue, and Justine Perdue.

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Certified Personal Medicine Coach Kick-Off: Copa Health 

June 6, 2023

We're excited to have a new cohort of Certified Personal Medicine Coaches beginning their 11-week journey toward certification. This group will be led by our CPMC-T's Jessica Pugliese and Jacquelyn Bordonaro.

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Recovery is Real

June 8, 2023 

Pat Deegan will present a virtual webinar for Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness. She will share her story of recovery and offer tips on how providers and staff can support folks along their journey or recovery.

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Accompanying People on the Journey to Use Meds Optimally to Support Recovery
June 13, 2023

Pat Deegan will present a virtual Keynote Address for the Annual Statewide OCEACT Conference. She will present a new framework for understanding and supporting folks in using psych meds to help get the life they want. 

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The Owl and Me: Recovery Across the Lifespan

June 21, 2023

Pat Deegan will present a virtual Keynote Address for the Mercy Care AZ Connections Conference. She will share stories of her own recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager.  Pat will describe specific challenges on the journey of recovery and will discuss strategies she has used to overcome these challenges.

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The Power of Personal Medicine: Moving Through the Challenges

June 21, 2023

Allison Stiles and Missy Rufo will host 2 workshops at the Connections Conference for families and members in the Mercy Care AZ Network. They will explore and discover how to use Personal Medicine in moving through challenges. 

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The Power of Personal Medicine: A Pathway to Recovery

June 22, 2023

Allison Stiles and Missy Rufo will host a workshop at the Connections Conference for providers in the Mercy Care AZ Network. They will explore and discover how to use Personal Medicine in their own lives to connect with their inner wisdom and healer. 

In the Media...

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The Me You Can't See

Pat sat down with Oprah and Prince Harry to discuss mental health recovery.

Watch Episode 6 for Free
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Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper tried Pat's Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation. Pat and Anderson chatted about his experience.

Watch Now
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Psychiatric Services: Podcast

Pat joined Lisa Dixon, MD to discuss Pat's recent publication: The Journey To Use Medications Optimally to Support Recovery.

Listen Now
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Unapologetically Black Unicorns

Pat sat down with Keris Jän Myrick on her Podcase Unapologetically Black Unicorns to discuss how Representation and Intentions Matter

Listen Now

From Pat's Blog...

Don't Let Anyone But You Define What's Possible for Your Recovery

Aug 26, 2022

Me-On-Medicine

Mar 22, 2022

Disclosure and privacy for peer specialists

Jan 28, 2022

Remembering Darby Penney

Dec 16, 2021

We don't have customers. We have partners in recovery.

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