About The Gathering Place
The Gathering Place began in 1996 through grassroots determination and a small seed grant administered by NAMI Wisconsin. What started as a simple drop-in center supported by volunteers has grown into a long-standing, community-supported nonprofit dedicated to hope, healing, and recovery for nearly three decades. We rely on a combination of grant funding and donations from foundations, community partners, and individual supporters who believe in our mission. We are grounded in lived experience and committed to improving the quality of life for every person who walks through our doors. Our mission is to provide a safe, stigma-free environment where peers can connect, support one another, and pursue meaningful recovery.
BECOME EMPOWERED!
Peer Support: An Evidence-Based Practice
Peer support is an evidence-based practice, which means scientific research has proven it to be an effective role model for reducing reliance on crisis services, hospital readmission rates, and repeated incarcerations. (Source: Mental Health America)
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Peers have expertise that professional training cannot replicate. While mental health and substance use (AODA) professionals may have formal education and extensive clinical experience, they may not have the lived experience that Certified Peer Specialists and Recovery Coaches bring. Peer support is empowering, uniquely informed by personal recovery journeys, and has the power to save lives. When professional expertise and peer support come together through individuals, it can lead to a powerful, life-saving approach to recovery.​​​​