Yashi has become very passionate about mental health advocacy and continues to be an active force in providing awareness, recovery resources, and busting the widespread stigma still very much rampant in our society. She’s been very vocal in the media about stigma and provided recent press on mental health for CNN, Today Show, ABC and NBC news stations, Extra, and Ebony/Jet publications to name a few. She is on the board as Treasurer for Project Return Peer Support Network (PRPSN) the largest and oldest peer support group in Los Angeles County since 1979 and is a national advocate for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) the most formidable grassroots organization and preeminent voice on capitol health for mental health.
N AMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – They are a wonderful resource for helping families across the nation understand the care and patience involved when a family member has a mental health challenge having more than 1100 affiliates. They have wonderful study groups and programs available for managing care and understanding how to navigate through the sometimes challenging mental health care system. There is a lot to consider when facing these situations and the right support is crucial.
Project Return Peer Support Network (Los Angeles County) -Peers helping peers is their moto. Yes, individuals who have learned the importance of maintenance and stability now giving back to the community and showing them the ropes. There is nothing more comforting than knowing somebody successfully reached recovery and what better way than to get it first hand from a peer. PRPSN is supported by Mental Health America and gets its funding from the Los Angeles County of Mental Health. They provide many resources from job opportunities to a warmline for those needing assistance and someone to talk to during those rough moments. Even if you’re out of the Los Angeles area the warmline will provide support and recovery resources in your local area.
MHA (Mental Health America) – Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is another one of the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. With our more than 320 affiliates nationwide, they represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation – everyday and in times of crisis.
The following is a great resource for some recommended books on mental health. Enjoy 
Adamec, C. (1996). How to live with a mentally ill person: A handbook of day-to-day strategies. New York: Wiley.
Adams, N. & Grieder, D. (2005). Treatment Planning for Person-Centered Care: The Road to Mental Health and Addiction Recovery. New York: Academic Press.
Amador, Xavier (2000). I am not sick, I don’t need help. New York: Vida Publishers.
Andreasen, N. (2001). Brave new brain: Conquering mental illness in the era of the genome. New York: Oxford University Press. (1984). The broken brain: The Biological Revolution in Psychiatry. New York: Harper & Row.
Backlar, P. (1994). The family face of schizophrenia: Practical counsel from America’s leading experts. New York: Putnam.
Basco, M. R. & Rush, A.J. (2007). Cognitive behavioral therapy for bipolar disorder (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Beck, A.T. & Rector, N.A. (2008). Schizophrenia: Cognitive theory, research and therapy. New York: Guilford Press.
Behrman, A. (2002). Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania. New York: Random House.
Bourne, E. J. (2005). The anxiety & phobia workbook (4th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
Bradshaw, J. (1996). The Family. (Self Esteem.) Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications.
Brondolo, E. & Amador, X. (2007). Breaking the bipolar cycle: A day-by-day guide to living with bipolar disorder. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Campbell, B.M. (2004). 72 Hour Hold. New York: Knopf.
Cheney, T. (2011). The Dark Side of Innocence: Growing Up Bipolar. New York: Simon & Schuster. (2008). Mania: A Memoir. New York: Harper Collins.
Cockburn, P. & Cockburn, H. (2011). Henry’s Demons. (Schizophrenia.)New York: Scribner.
Copeland, M. E. (1994). Living without depression and manic depression: A workbook for maintaining mood stability. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
Davis, C. (2009). Bipolar Bare. www.amazon.com.
Deveson, A. (1992). Tell Me I’m Here. New York: Penguin.
DePaulo, J.R. (2003). Understanding depression: What we know and what you can do about it. New York: Wiley.
Drake, R. & Becker, D. (2001). A working life for people with severe mental illness (1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Duke, P. & Hochman, G. (1992). A brilliant madness: Living with manic-depressive illness. New York: Bantam Books.
Earley, P. (2006). Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness. New York: Berkley Books.
Ellis, A. (1994). How to stubbornly refuse to make yourself miserable about anything – yes, anything. New York: Carol Publishing.
Fawcett. J. & Golden, B. (2007). New hope for people with bipolar disorder. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Fink, C. & Kraynak, J. (2007). Bipolar disorder for dummies. New York: Wiley.
Golant, M. & Golant S. (2007). What to do when someone you love is depressed. Austin, TX: Holt.
Gorman, J.M. (2007). The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs (rev. ed). New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Griest, J. H. & Jefferson, J.W. (1998). Panic disorder and agoraphobia: A guide. Madison, WI: Madison Institute of Medicine.
Hoffman, P.D. & Steiner-Grossman, P. (2008). Borderline personality disorder: Meeting the challenges to successful treatment. New York: Haworth Press.
Jamison, K.R. (1999). Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide. New York: Knopf. (1995).
Koplewicz, H. (2002). More than moody: Recognizing and treating adolescent depression. New York: Putnam.
Levine, J. & Levine, I.S. (2009). Schizophrenia for dummies. New York: Wiley.
Liberman, R.P. (2008). Recovery From Disability. Virginia: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Mason, P. & Kreger, R. (1998). Stop Walking On Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
McManamy, J. (2006). Living well with bipolar disorder: What your doctor doesn’t tell you that you need to know. New York: Harper.
Minkoff, K. & Drake, R. (1991). New Directions for Mental Health Services No. 50. (Dual diagnosis of major mental illness and substance disorder.) San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.
North, C. (1987). Welcome, Silence: My Triumph Over Schizophrenia. N.Y.: Simon & Schuster.
Osborn, I. (1999). Tormenting Thoughts and Secret Rituals: The Hidden Epidemic of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. New York: Delacorte Press.
Papolos, D. F. & Papolos, J. (1997) Overcoming Depression (3rd ed). New York: Harper.
Russell, M. L. (2005). Planning for the future: Providing a meaningful life for a child with disability. Evanston, IL: American Publishing Company.
Saks, E.R. (2007). The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey through Madness. N.Y.: Hyperion.
Schiller, L. & Bennett, A. (1994). The Quiet Room: Out of the Torment of Madness. N.Y: Warner.
Secunda, V. (1997). When madness comes home: Help and hope for the children, siblings and partners of the mentally ill. New York: Hyperion.
Sheehan, S. (1982). Is there no place on earth for me? New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Temes, R. (2002). Getting your life back together when you have schizophrenia. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
Torrey, E. F., et al. (1995). Schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder. N.Y.:HarperCollins. (2005). Surviving manic depression. N.Y.: Basic Books. (2006). Surviving schizophrenia: A manual for families, consumers and providers. (5th ed.). New York: Collins Living.
Wahl, D. (1999). Telling is risky business: Mental health consumers confront stigma. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Wang, D.C. (2010). The Kitchen Shrink. New York: Riverhead Books-Penguin Group.
Wyden, P. (1998). Conquering Schizophrenia: A Father, His Son and a Medical Breakthrough. New York: Knopf.