Chacku’s personal experiences as a youth and young adult with racism, xenophobia, trauma, suicide attempts, and serious mental health and substance use conditions, launched Chacku and his family toward a number of efforts to advocate for recovery-oriented services, inclusive social conditions, and wholistic alternative supports in the community.

He has since accumulated over thirty-five years of experience in his personal recovery, systems advocacy, and organizational leadership. Chacku’s advocacy and leadership continue in his roles on local and statewide police and crisis response initiatives, and across the country as a National Advisory Council member for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health in Texas and the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems. Chacku is also an appointed member of the New York State Integrated Block Grant Committee and the NYS Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council.

(he/him/his)

Stephanie has 40 years of experience in community organizing the non-profit and public sector in the capacity of administrative, direct line social service worker (i.e., bilingual case manager, clinical supervisor, group facilitator and peer specialist) and teaching experience in the performing arts, recovery communities, academia, and afterschool settings. In addition, Stephanie has worked for state and municipal organizations in Africa, Central America and throughout the United States.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies/ minor – alternative therapies from Long Island University, completed a certificate program in Non-Profit Management at Columbia Graduate Business School and a Candidate for a Master of Arts degree in social justice and community organizing at Prescott College.