Community Highlights
Showcasing the voices, stories, and creativity of our alumni
In Their Words
Hear from alumni about the impact of our programs
Featured Alumni – September 2025
Monroe M. (He/Him)
Q: What’s your favorite thing about alumni programming?
A: My favorite thing about alumni programming is that it ensures that clients don’t fall through the cracks of the mental health system post-discharge. While the alumni community is non-clinical, the availability of process, skill-building, interest-based, and social groups allows us to have protective, community-based factors in place.
Q: What are your favorite groups and why?
A: My most regularly attended groups are neurographic art and parenting. I was actually in IOP during part of the first and second trimesters of my wife’s pregnancy, and knowing I was going to be a dad was one of the main factors that led to me realizing I needed this higher level of care. I loved the parenting group right away, as there are parents who relate to my experiences in ways many of my peers or community members wouldn’t openly talk about. Neurographic art is a favorite hobby and self-care activity of mine—it’s something I can do even on low-energy or particularly hard days. It provides structure and routine while allowing space for creativity.
Q: What would you say to someone who’s thinking about joining alumni programming?
A: For people considering joining the alumni community, the Discord is a great place to start if you’re not ready to join Zoom groups yet. Many weekly groups have channels or threads where you can learn about the group and get to know people before deciding if you want to join. And signing up for groups isn’t set in stone—people often switch which groups they go to based on how they’re feeling, the support they need, or what they’re interested in at the time.
Mentioned Groups:
What the Alumni Community Is Listening To
A playlist made entirely of songs chosen by Charlie Health Alumni, for Charlie Health Alumni
What We’re Reading
Take a look at some of the books our Alumni Community has explored together through book club
Charlie Health Alumni Book Club | Ages 18+
2025 Book Club Picks
January – The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
February – The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
March – Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
April – Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
May – Atomic Habits by James Clear
June – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
July – Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
August – Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
September – Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
October – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
November – What Happened to You? by Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey
December – The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
2024 Book Club Picks
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
- Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall
- Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
- Girlhood by Melissa Febos
- The People We Keep by Allison Larkin
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Oye! by Melissa Mogollon
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
- How to Meet Your Self by Dr. Nicole LePera
- Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
2023 Book Club Picks
- When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön
- Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder
- Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
- Bravey by Alexi Pappas
- How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
- Boundaries by Melissa Urban
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
- Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig
- Enchantment by Katherine May
- Joy Is My Justice by Tanmeet Sethi
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer