About

Ms. Wilson’s core belief in advocacy is one rooted in dignity and respect for those suffering. Her perspective is not one of just helping, but helping to empower those with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Barbara believes that even those with SMI can lead lives filled with purpose by taking a modified approach that respects their limitations but offers worth and dignity. Ms. Wilson’s approach gives people with SMI hope and permits them to be who they are.

Barbara B. Wilson is a highly experienced mental health professional who has worked in psychiatric hospital settings and helped create the first Adult Day Treatment program in a major metropolitan area. She has since become an outspoken mental health advocate, particularly for improving the quality and access to care for those with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). She is skilled in treating a wide variety of mental health disorders and continues to provide individual and group therapy, as well as consultations to community organizations and businesses. Her expertise includes working with adults with acute psychosis, older adults with serious mental illness and/or neurological disorders, women in maximum security, adolescents, children, addiction issues, intellectual disabilities, and therapeutic communities. With her diverse background and unwavering confidence, Ms. Wilson is well-equipped to provide exceptional care to individuals from all walks of life.

In 2018, Ms. Wilson founded a not-for-profit organization, Mental Health Hookup, to address the need for affordable, safe housing for adults with SMI and to provide quality services for families seeking alternative housing options. She has also organized several events, like Stop the Stigma, to benefit those who experience SMI and their families. Even though she has officially retired, you can always find her leading support groups, meeting with clients, educating the public, attending board meetings, and rallying behind political causes.

​While Ms. Wilson began her journey working in psychiatric hospital settings, she helped to create the first Adult Day Treatment program in a major metropolitan area before transitioning to developing community-based programs both for people with SMI and Intellectually Disabled.
Following the gradual de-funding of public mental health, she became an outspoken mental health advocate for improving the quality and access to care. One of her areas of advocacy is the need for affordable, safe housing for adults who suffer from various forms of Serious Mental Illness. People who have SMI deserve to have a continuum of appropriate housing that supports their integration into a life filled with meaning and purpose. Additionally, families deserve quality services that can address alternative housing options so that their loved ones can access appropriate community services.
​
To this end, she has founded a not-for-profit organization, Mental Health Hookup.

Ms. Wilson is skilled in treating a wide variety of mental health disorders. Many people have benefitted from consultations with her. She often locates additional resources to facilitate resolutions of situations that may have previously seemed intractable. Additionally, she continues to provide individual therapy, group therapy, and consultations to community organizations and businesses.