Changing the Paradigm for Recovery: A New Approach to Behavioral Health and Community Building

Abstract

At Mural Arts, we believe that art can shine a light into dark places, draw out the best in people and communities, and ultimately transform spaces and change lives. In this spirit, we began a partnership with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services to create mural projects that confront issues plaguing our communities such as drug addiction, mental illness and homelessness. We envisioned mural projects that were integrated into a path to recovery, tapping into the therapeutic and community-building nature of public art to create a deeper connection. The goal of this partnership was to bring a unique approach to the delivery of services and to start the difficult conversations about struggle with mental health and addiction within communities, bringing these issues to the forefront. Our intent was to build community by bringing people together around a common goal: the creation of a large-scale work of art. Through this unity, ultimately we wanted to reduce the stigma that sometimes serves as an obstacle in taking that first step towards recovery.