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... 

September 2023

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Certified Personal Medicine Coach Kick-Off: CHR 

September 5, 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-Ts Kristy Hidalgo and Emily Chapman-Hushek.

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Certified Personal Medicine Coach Kick-Off: Step By Step Inc. 

September 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-Ts Tracy Ciabattoni.

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Certified Personal Medicine Coach Kick-Off 

September 7, 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 PDA staff and include folks from all over the world.

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Recovery is Real

September 8, 2023 

Pat Deegan will be presenting the Keynote Address at the Serving ALL Who Served: 2023 VA Community Mental Health Summit. She will share her own story of recovery and how peer supporters and other staff can help veterans in getting and keeping the life they want.

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Certified Personal Medicine Coach Kick-Off: London 

September 8, 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-Ts Cerdic Hall, Umair Khan, and Ulanah Morris.

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Certified Personal Medicine Coach Kick-Off: South Korea 

September 12, 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-Ts Sookhee Jung.

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Personal Medicine, Power Statements and Other Disruptive Innovations

September 19, 2023 

Pat Deegan will speaking with 3rd year residents at the Geisel School of Medicine to help them expand their tools in supporting recovery oriented care. 

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DSC Quarterly Call

September 19, 2023

Decision Support Centers: More than the Health Report. PDA staff will be meeting with DSC staff in Community Care Behavioral Health's network using CommonGround Software. This quarterly call will help support and deepen their skills and knowledge in using CommonGround Software in the Decision Support Center.

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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