A peer-centered place for healing and creativity
The Isaac Brown Healing Arts & Recovery Center promotes community inclusion through natural supports and meaningful community roles. Peer-centered tools include the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), harm reduction, healthier eating and budgeting.
The Center also brings art, yoga, music, writing and philosophy into its approach to wellness. Book, Poetry, Photography and Gardening clubs create room for creativity, shared interests and connection. Peer Resource team members bring their own gifts, talents and lived experience to groups, workshops and clubs.
Our history
The Center opened in 2010 as a drop-in center offering person-centered recovery and holistic tools such as music, art, writing and poetry. It was managed and operated by peer specialists willing to share their lived experiences and worked to build greater community understanding of people with mental health lived experience.
In 2018, the Center partnered with the NYC Mural Arts Project to create a community mural and panels. The mural was installed at PS 24 in 2019.
In 2019, the Center partnered with the Brain Food Garden Project to offer nutrition workshops and create and maintain a garden greenhouse. During the COVID-19 shutdown, the Center created online community programming and a warm line operating five days a week. It also partnered with the Vet-to-Vet program to bring peer-based support to veterans.
In 2020, the Center celebrated its tenth anniversary with online Open Mic Nights and an Open House while the building remained closed during the pandemic.
In 2021, the Center partnered with Oscar Jiménez-Solomon of the New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Irving Medical Center to create the Financial Hope Support Group. Its pilot was scheduled for early 2022.