Representation of the governed: Leadership building for people with behavioral health disorders who are homeless or were formerly homeless

Many organizations that provide services to individuals with behavioral health disorders are required to include people with psychiatric disabilities on their boards and action groups, yet this requirement rarely results in successful, ongoing representation. We report on a pilot project that trained people who, were homeless and formerly homeless, most of whom were diagnosed with behavioral health disorders, for internships on boards and action groups that provide services to people who are homeless. We relate the project's goals to the theme of empowerment, present our findings, discuss key implementation issues, and offer recommendations for future program efforts and research.