Peoples Oakland Inc.

Peoples Oakland strives to be a premier recovery and wellness center serving adults in treatment for serious, persistent mental illness and co-occurring disorders. We are committed to holistic, comprehensive, member driven recovery based on real life experiences nurtured by peer support, hope, self-help and collaborative relationships with professionals. Peoples Oakland also partners with community institutions and organizations to help strengthen and develop the Oakland community.

Peoples Oakland has been a cornerstone of mental health recovery in Allegheny County for over 50 years, empowering adults living with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders to lead meaningful, independent lives. Our peer-led model offers psychiatric rehabilitation-including site-based, mobile, and social rehab-along with housing and benefits support, vocational services, community integration, and educational panels. Our Bridging the Gap (BTG) program supports individuals returning from incarceration with critical reentry services that reduce barriers and promote stability. We serve over 200 members annually, achieving outcomes such as reduced psychiatric hospitalizations, increased housing and employment stability, lower recidivism, and greater community engagement. By centering lived experience and community, we help people rebuild their lives and find hope, purpose, and belonging.

Testimonials

"Peoples Oakland has given me a foundation for my recovery. I have a sense of usefulness, meaning and purpose I never had before." - Mike

"Peoples Oakland has given me the strength and empowerment to work toward my goals and dreams." - Chandra

"Virtual groups have allowed me, during this pandemic to reach out to peers and staff for the first time ever, the meetings, in general, have helped challenge the negative thinking I have towards myself." - Justin

" I am very thankful for Zoom and the online meetings, it helps my mood during this crisis and I feel like I am not alone, my counselor Eric is awesome because he always checks on me." - Anonymous