About SHARE!
Founded in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, SHARE! has grown into a thriving organization with a budget exceeding $5 million. We proudly employ more than 65 individuals with lived experience in mental health and substance abuse recovery and engage the efforts of over 4,000 dedicated volunteers. SHARE! is guided by an independent Board of Directors committed to our mission.
SHARE!, the Self-Help and Recovery Exchange, serves as a vibrant community hub dedicated to fostering connection, growth, and recovery. Each week, we host over 100 self-help support group meetings, welcoming more than 5,000 participants every month.
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Our two centers, SHARE! Culver City and SHARE! Downtown Los Angeles, provide safe, welcoming, and accessible spaces where individuals come together to address a wide range of challenges. From anger management and depression to health, self-esteem, relationships, childhood abuse, substance use, and personal goal setting, SHARE! empowers people to support one another and transform their lives.
Our Vision
SHARE! is dedicated to providing housing, rehabilitation, and renewal, guiding individuals toward lives filled with purpose and hope. We are a catalyst for transformation, shaping futures that reflect the very essence of who you are and aspire to be, where transformation happens.
Our Mission
SHARE! provides a nurturing environment where individuals can honor their life stories, pursue personal growth, and embrace change by choice. Through lived experience peer support, self-help support groups and collaborative housing, we empower individuals to reinvigorate their foundational life skills and address unresolved traumas. We foster personal accountability and provide unwavering support as individuals embark on a purpose-driven journey towards life transformation. Our outcomes are who you become.
At SHARE!, we believe in the power of community and peer support to create lasting positive change. Our diverse array of groups offers something for everyone, ensuring that each person can find the help and encouragement they need in a supportive and understanding environment.​​
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Who We Serve​​
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Individuals who are mental health consumers, recovering from addiction, and/or have a history of trauma
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Mental health and homeless services agencies at all levels of government
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Professional mental health researchers, addiction services professionals, and individuals seeking peer support specialist training​​
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Why We Do It​
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Offer recovery and self-help support groups
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Provide housing solutions and support for the unhoused
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Enhance the quality of life for individuals in Los Angeles County
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Reduce costs associated with health and homelessness services
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Deliver peer support through shared lived experiences
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Empower participants to transform their lives
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Create lasting, life-changing outcomes
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For those interested in joining our community, please check the schedule for the locations of our in-person and hybrid meetings. While some meetings are only available on Zoom, we strive to make support accessible to everyone, no matter where they are. [Click here for SHARE!'s meeting schedules.]
Join us at SHARE! and be part of a community that cares, supports, and thrives together.
SHARE!'S History
SHARE! was founded by individuals in recovery from trauma and mental health issues, driven by their frustrations with existing self-help support groups. They frequently encountered operational problems that hindered their healing processes. Under the guidance of the Emotional Health Association, a California 501(c)(3) corporation, a dedicated group of meeting-goers formed a board and working committees, officially opening SHARE! in an abandoned warehouse with a leaky roof in Venice, CA, in 1993.
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By 1994, SHARE! had become the Los Angeles County self-help clearinghouse, maintaining records of all self-help support groups in the area and providing referrals. Each year, SHARE! expanded, adding more self-help support groups. In March 2005, SHARE! achieved a significant milestone, becoming the first peer-run contractor with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
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That same year, in response to a homeless volunteer's challenge of finding housing without a drug or alcohol problem, SHARE! pioneered the SHARE! Collaborative Housing program. Using existing resources, this initiative aimed to house 20,000 mental health consumers over five years, offering a public-private solution to housing for people with disabilities. This program builds support, resilience, and independence at a fraction of the cost of other housing programs. Since 2019, SHARE! Collaborative Housing has provided homes for over 2,200 mental health consumers in Los Angeles on an annual budget of just $2 million.
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In April 2009, SHARE! expanded by opening SHARE! Downtown, its second self-help center located on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. In 2013, the SHARE! Recovery Retreat began serving mental health consumers and their families, offering a two-week program to help individuals discover their potential and aspirations.
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The SHARE! Advanced Peer Specialist training program has prepared over 800 individuals for behavioral health jobs since 2016, and in 2022, SHARE! was approved to offer Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification training.
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Since its inception, SHARE! has been committed to accepting everyone who seeks help. SHARE!'s innovative approach was recognized with the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission Outstanding Program Award in 2013. By providing self-help support groups and communities, SHARE! enables participants to develop skills to cope with substance use, trauma, mental health disorders, and dysfunctional relationships, fostering self-sufficiency and community integration.