The CAFE TA Center

11/03/2025

Join us tomorrow at 10 ET for a conversation with Irish poet and mental health advocate Bill McKnight!

Bill has lived with a mental health condition since 1983 and has been writing since 2003. His first book, Loud Silence, was published in 2012. Since his initial stay in a psychiatric hospital in Belfast, he has committed himself to a simple mission. “If ever I get well enough I want to reach out to people who are going through what I’ve gone through.” That mission has led him to write six books, speak at international conferences, share essays, and appear on radio and TV.

Bill will share what he’s learned over his 40+ years of mental health lived experience and 20+ years of writing about it, the ups and downs of the writing business, and the many memorable moments along his path of advocacy and entrepreneurship.

See you there!

A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with Bill McKnight / Employment, Latest News, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars / By Jeremy Countryman The CAFÉ TA Center invites you to attend A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with author a...

10/31/2025

Join us on November 13th for the second part of our five-part family mental health series, Empowering Your Emerging Adult!

This session builds on our first webinar, offering tools, heartfelt insights, and real-life success stories for parents of emerging adults navigating mental health or substance use challenges. Learn to strike the perfect balance between support and autonomy.

From building resilience to navigating challenges, this series equips you with the knowledge and confidence to support your young adult toward a thriving future. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your parenting journey!

Emerging Adult Series Part Two – Fostering Independence in Emerging Adults: A Balanced Approach to Growth and Connection / Latest News, Organizational Development, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars, Workforce Development, Youth and Emerging Adults / By Jeremy Countryman Have you started supporting you...

10/29/2025

Join CAFÉ TAC for our four-part Peer Leadership and Community Engagement webinar series, beginning on Wednesday, November 12th at 2:00 PM ET.

This interactive series, facilitated by peer leader Elise Padilla from Rebel Leadership Group, will empower participants to develop their leadership and community engagement skills, with tools for leadership, collaboration, and sustainability.

Together we’ll explore community building, ethics and cultural humility, self-care in leadership, and coalition building—creating a space for learning, connection, and peer-to-peer support that strengthens the recovery movement from the ground up.

Building Peer Communities & Mutual Aid Ecosystems – Wednesday, November 12th
Ethics and Cultural Humility in Peer Work – Wednesday, November 19th
Sustainable Leadership & Self-Care – Wednesday, December 3rd
Coalition Building for Small Recovery Orgs – Wednesday, December 10th

Each installment in the series will come with tools and resources you can use to put what you learn into action!

There is no cost to participate, and Certificates of Attendance will be provided upon request.

Join CAFÉ TAC for our Four-Part Peer Leadership and Community Engagement Series / Employment, Latest News, Organizational Development, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars, Workforce Development / By Jeremy Countryman Join CAFÉ TAC for our four-part Peer Leadership and Community Engagement webinar series...

10/27/2025

Make sure to join us at 10 AM on Tuesday, November 4th for A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with author and advocate Bill McKnight!

Bill will share what he’s learned over his 40+ years of writing and talking about his experience, the ups and downs of the writing business, and the many memorable moments along his path of advocacy and entrepreneurship.

See you there!

A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with Bill McKnight / Employment, Latest News, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars / By Jeremy Countryman The CAFÉ TA Center invites you to attend A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with author a...

10/22/2025

The CAFÉ TA Center invites you to attend A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with author and advocate Bill McKnight at 10 AM ET on Tuesday, November 4th.

People with lived experience often have complicated histories, and non-traditional experiences when it comes to work and professional development. They also have unique perspectives and valuable insight that can help others navigate their way to wellness. By taking an entrepreneurial path, some advocates are able to use their experience to support themselves while also demonstrating the value of recovery and helping others along the way.

This CAFÉ TAC webinar will feature a 90-minute conversation with one such entrepreneurial advocate, Bill McKnight. Bill has lived with a mental health condition since 1983 and has been writing since 2003. His first book, Loud Silence, was published in 2012. Since his initial stay in a psychiatric hospital in Belfast, he has committed himself to a simple mission. “If ever I get well enough I want to reach out to people who are going through what I’ve gone through.” That mission has led him to write six books, speak at international conferences, share essays, and appear on radio and TV.

Whether you are considering turning your own lived experience into an opportunity for entrepreneurship, or if you just want to talk about using your story as an advocacy tool, this is the conversation for you!

A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with Bill McKnight / Employment, Latest News, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars / By Jeremy Countryman The CAFÉ TA Center invites you to attend A Conversation on Mental Health Recovery, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship with author a...

09/30/2025

The latest edition of CAFE TAC’s Focus 2.0 newsletter is here!

This edition takes a look at artificial intelligence (AI), the ways it’s impacting mental health, and the implications for peers and people with lived experience.

It also includes info on a new SAMHSA resource to promote self-care for mental healthcare providers, details of a new CAFE TAC family mental health webinar series, and a “Capacity Corner” column addressing complex relationships between staff and Board members in peer-run organizations.

Check out the latest Focus 2.0 here!

Focus 2.0: Mental Health and AI: Promising Tool or Potential Danger? / Focus newsletter, Latest News, Organizational Development, Recovery, SAMHSA news, Workforce Development / By Jeremy Countryman The latest edition of CAFE TAC’s Focus 2.0 newsletter is here!This edition takes a look at artificia...

09/22/2025

Don't forget to join us on Thursday for the first webinar in our new Empowering Your Emerging Adult Series: Exploring Identity, Self-Discovery, and Social Connections Thursday, September 25th at 2:00 PM ET.

This powerful session dives into the heart of your emerging adult’s journey to self-discovery. Learn how to foster their exploration of identity, values, dreams and goals while encouraging meaningful social connections—necessary steps in their recovery and growth. Hear inspiring stories from parents who’ve walked this path and discover actionable strategies to create a nurturing environment for your young adult while also supporting your own well-being.

Join the First Session in CAFE TAC’s Emerging Adult Series / Latest News, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars, Youth and Emerging Adults / By Jeremy Countryman Join CAFE TAC for the first webinar in our new Empowering Your Emerging Adult Series:Exploring Identity, Self-Discovery, and Social ConnectionsT...

09/11/2025

Join CAFE TAC for the first webinar in our new Empowering Your Emerging Adult Series: Exploring Identity, Self-Discovery, and Social Connections, Thursday, September 25th at 2:00 PM ET.

This powerful session dives into the heart of your emerging adult’s journey to self-discovery. Learn how to foster their exploration of identity, values, dreams and goals while encouraging meaningful social connections—necessary steps in their recovery and growth. Hear inspiring stories from parents who’ve walked this path and discover actionable strategies to create a nurturing environment for your young adult while also supporting your own well-being.

Join the First Session in CAFE TAC’s Emerging Adult Series / Latest News, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars, Youth and Emerging Adults / By Jeremy Countryman Join CAFE TAC for the first webinar in our new Empowering Your Emerging Adult Series:Exploring Identity, Self-Discovery, and Social ConnectionsT...

07/25/2025

The latest edition of CAFE TAC’s Focus 2.0 newsletter is here!

This edition shares an overview of a keynote address delivered by mental health self-advocate Mike Veny at The 27th Annual Family Cafe, and highlights the need to build bridges between the mental health community and the larger disability rights movement.

It also includes info on a new resource on reducing justice system involvement for people with mental health conditions, and a “Capacity Corner” column with tips for hosting a fundraising event.

Check it out, and let us know what you think!

Focus 2.0: Mike Veny Brings Rhythms of Recovery to The 27th Annual Family Cafe / Focus newsletter, Latest News, Organizational Development, Recovery, SAMHSA news, Youth and Emerging Adults / By Jeremy Countryman The latest edition of CAFE TAC’s Focus 2.0 newsletter is here!This edition shares an o...

03/30/2025

The latest edition of CAFE TAC’s Focus 2.0 newsletter is here!

With the federal grant that supports CAFE TAC coming to an end, this Focus 2.0 reviews training and resources we’ve produced over the past five years, and introduces our last two products.

We also let everyone know that even though our grant is ending, all of the training and resources we’ve developed will still be available at cafetacenter.net.

Focus 2.0: Thank You for Five Great Years! / Focus newsletter, Latest News, Organizational Development, Recovery, SAMHSA news, Youth and Emerging Adults / By Jeremy Countryman The latest edition of CAFE TAC’s Focus 2.0 newsletter is here!With the federal grant that supports CAFE TAC coming to an e...

03/28/2025

CAFÉ TAC is excited to share a great new resource for youth looking to plan an authentically youth-driven event, or organizations trying to create a space for genuine youth-driven engagement, Cooking Up Youth Engagement: The CAFÉ TA Center Recipe for Youth Engagement Events, Inspired and Baked by The Florida Youth Council.

This document offers a “how-to” for a group of youth, or an organization, to empower young people to plan and implement an engagement in which youth come together for a common purpose, whether it be training, advocacy around a specific issue, relationship-building, fun, entertainment, and connection, activity planning and delivery, or other youth-related activities. By following the right recipe, youth (and those who support youth) will understand how to plan and implement programming in a youth-driven manner that genuinely empowers the youth voice.

In that spirit of youth-driven authenticity, CAFÉ TAC has created this guide in cooperation with The Florida Youth Council (FYC), another program that like CAFÉ TAC is part of a cross-disability nonprofit organization called The Family Café. The FYC hosts an Annual Youth Summit each year, and this tool uses the FYC’s Annual Youth Summit as a case example to demonstrate how youth can plan and deliver activities for youth, and do so in a thoughtful and effective manner.

Find it at the link below!

Cooking Up Youth Engagement / Latest News, Youth and Emerging Adults / By Jeremy Countryman CAFÉ TAC is excited to share a great new resource for youth looking to plan an authentically youth-driven event, or organizations trying to create a space for genuine youth-driven engagement, Cooking Up Yout...

03/17/2025

Join a SAMHSA sponsored webinar presented by the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) webinar showcasing the transformative impact of peer-run services in promoting recovery and wellness. Participants will explore innovative programs such as peer respites, wellness respites, mobile outreach initiatives, warmlines, wellness centers, supported employment services, and recovery cafés. The session will highlight how these services support individuals, including those with serious mental illness, in recovering from crises, healing from trauma, and finding alternatives to hospitalization.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 from 2:30-4:00pm Eastern Time

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/xs4oqgJ5SfOAK3KtosN71w #/registration