Acadia Psychiatric Hospital; Bangor, Maine; only Magnet award winning psychiatric hospital in the world.
AIE did a keynote speech and two trainings on Existential Buy-In to all the hospital staff including MD's and the Board of Directors.

 

“Eric’s visit and interactions with all of the staff at The Acadia Hospital truly exemplified what we were trying to accomplish for hospital week.  A true Collaborative Practice model to provide the gold standard of care to patients.  He brought experience, wisdom, and tearful heart-felt connection with all disciplines.”
Karen Clements, FACHE, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer
The Acadia Hospital


“Eric is a truly inspirational speaker who brings us back to the basics of nursing and the belief in the importance of hope”
Naomi Brown PMHNP- BC, Director of Magnet and Nursing Research
The Acadia Hospital



Bristol Myers Squibb-

Diversity Speaker on Veterans Day-45 minute speech followed by Q/A

Thanks so much for the amazing keynote at our Veterans Day event last week.  Not only was your story compelling and eye-opening, you were able to continually make it relevant for our audience.   You provided deep insight into the patient experience and a broader understanding of the inhibitors to seeking treatment and compliance.  It was beyond our expectations!  Thank you for taking the time to understand our company, and thank you for sharing your inspiring story.

 

Fond regards,

Linda Leonard

Associate Director, Diversity and Inclusion

 

Recent Review from keynote speech at Annual Midwestern Association of Mental Health Organizations(MASMHO) Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana:

"Mr. Arauz recently spoke at the Spring meeting of MASMHO (Midwestern Association of State Mental Health Organizations). I had heard Mr. Arauz speak in July 2009 in St. Louis, Mo. at a joint meeting of State hospital superintendents and State mental health commissioners. On both occasions, the passion in his presentation and the clarity and vividness of his experience at the State hospital was enough to silence the room. He was not critical in his description, but used his experience to reach the audience and compelled them to think harder about the way we as an industry go about taking care of the people entrusted to us. His willingness to personally share his life experience as a child of a troubled parent and a Veteran of our military is courageous. His story of recovery and hope is inspiring and reminds us of why we work in this field.”

Bill Gibson, CEO, Lincoln Regional Center , Lincoln, Nebraska.

NASMHPD, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, Winter Commissioner's meeting in Washington DC: Plenary Speech presented titled,"The Life, Death and Resurrection of a Mentally Ill Veteran."

 HIGHEST RATED PRESENTATION AT THE CONFERENCE!

“Mr. Arauz was genuine, inspiring, and substantive.  State Mental Health Commissioners repeatedly commented on how amazed they were by his powerful story through recovery, reminding them of the importance of their mission.”

- Robert W. Glover, Ph.D., Executive Director, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD)

Michigan Association of County Mental Health Boards; Annual Winter Conference-Plenary Speech presented:"The Life, Death and Resurrection of a Mentally Ill Veteran." The Lansing Center, Lansing, Michigan. 

  Absolutely excellent.

  This was the most powerful presentation I have heard in a long time. You could hear a pin drop in the room while he spoke. Excellent.

  Excellent presentation. Authentic! Conference booklet description and blue bio sheet were good pieces of info. Described him well.  Very enlightening.

 Inspiring.

 Excellent, powerful, moving speech. Amazing human being- one of the best we’ve had the privilege of hearing/sharing their life story.

 Marvelous recovery.

 He gave a very vivid picture of bipolar at its worst. Great story (life).

 Great speaker this morning.

Letter of Recommendation from Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Addiction
Psychiatry
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

 Eric Arauz is an outstanding motivational speaker and advocate for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders. Eric has all the qualities of an advocate. He is respectful of others and passionate in his commitment to the cause. He is articulate and able to express the complex issues surrounding the stigma of living with a mental illness or addiction. The challenges he has overcome in his lifetime are truly inspiring for his audiences. He is also funny, well read and loves reaching out to new people. His joy in connecting with others is contagious and he is able to impart sincere hope and affection to individuals who may be otherwise marginalized or forgotten by society.

We are fortunate that Eric has joined the CHOICES team (www.njchoices.org) that does outreach to educate and motivate smokers and inform them of treatment options in NJ. His educational accomplishments as well as his recovery from bipolar disorder, drug addiction and tobacco dependence make him a natural leader and motivational speaker. He is highly successful in
reaching audiences and I would recommend his work highly.

Jill Williams, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Addiction
Psychiatry
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

 Presentation in Washington D.C. to Dr. Terry Cline, Director of  SAMSHA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (US Federal agency charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses)

I recently had the pleasure of meeting and working with Eric Arauz and it was a wonderful experience. I invited Eric to come to Washington, DC and be on the faculty for an in-service training to federal agency staff about the impact on smoking on people with mental health and substance use disorders and how consumers can provide peer services to help bring about smoking cessation. Eric was a consummate professional from A-to-Z. He quickly grasped what I was looking for and delivered a presentation that was on-point and well received by the entire audience. He is a talented, compelling and inspiring speaker who uses his lifetime of experiences to teach us about believing in the promise of recovery for ALL. I would not hesitate to recommend Eric for collaborations with other colleagues - indeed, I already have.

Gail P. Hutchings, M.P.A.

President and CEO, Behavioral Health Policy Collaborative

former Chief of Staff, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency statewide meeting: Inspirational speech lasted 2 1/2 hours. Review by 2 audience members. 

Review 1

Eric Arauz came to speak to our clinical staff of addiction professionals. I had heard that he was an amazing inspirational speaker and was looking forward to hearing his presentation. Everything I had heard was true, he was truly amazing!

Mr. Arauz is a dynamic and genuine human being, his story is remarkable and his message of hope, survival, and redemption resonates beyond the realm of belief.  I was moved to tears by his story. He makes clear that despite battling the depths of mental illness and years of addiction he was able to overcome incredible obstacles to become the successful and healthy man he is today.  His ability to convey how he overcame these barriers lends hope to those individual with mental illness and/or addiction and empowers those in the helping profession to be there with optimism for the clients they serve.

He chronicles his life-story while interweaving literary citations and historical information that creates a memorable and symbolic path for motivated living. The eagerness in his words and the strength in his message make him highly recommended for all audiences.    

Stacey Wolff, NCC, LPC, LCADC

NCADD-NJ

 

Review 2

 

Reference for Eric Arauz

 

It should be mandatory for mental health and addiction professionals to hear the story of Eric Arauz’s life as he presents it. 

 This year, the staff at NCADD-NJ was clinically blessed with the “experience” of Mr. Arauz. 

Drawing on his personal experience of being diagnosed with Bipolar I and drug and alcohol dependence, Mr. Arauz details his success and achievements despite the painful mental, physical and spiritual barriers he encountered. 

He puts a face on the DSM-IV diagnosis and makes human the hopelessness clients often suffer in silence when they feel like no one cares. 

 His message inspires hope and encourages caring in the professional community and is a sure cure for professional burnout. 

 Through Eric’s inspirational presentation, one experiences Bipolar I Disorder and drug/alcohol dependence through the eyes of one who has been there, thus, you add another dimension to your clinical expertise.  I highly recommend Eric’s presentation for all professionals in the field.

 

Luci Doppler, LPC, LCADC, CCS

NCADD-NJ

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Eric Arauz. Presentation made at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center. Speech given about tobacco use and the mentally ill and Eric's ability to overcome tobacco addiction as well as alcohol and drug addiction.

We feel very fortunate to have connected with Eric Arauz. He brought a powerful message of hope and recovery to mental health recipients and staff of the Buffalo Psychiatric Center. We brought Mr. Arauz to Buffalo to assist us in efforts to maintain a tobacco-free environment by encouraging recipients of our service to “kick the habit.” He gave two presentations, speaking to nearly 200 recipients of both inpatient and outpatient services. His presentations were right on target. He was articulate, engaging and able to relate exceptionally well to the audiences, which also included staff. We hope to have the opportunity to work with Mr. Arauz in the future.

Susan M. Joffe
Director of Public Information/Volunteers
Buffalo Psychiatric Center

11th grade Student from Elizabeth High School Elizabeth, New Jersey presentation of "Who's Your Master"

Dear Mr.Eric Arauz

I just wanted you to know that I'm grateful for what you did the other day.  You made me think about who was "My Master" and what goals did I really have right now. The way you spoke opened my mind in thinking about stuff in a different way.

It really touched me and made me realize how important school is. Honestly, in all the people that have talked to the students in the past about this stuff, your like the first person that ever spoke in the honest way you did.

You showed us how much you care about our education which is what all the students needed, someone who showed them focusing in school will make them have a better future. Thank you for your words, they really touched me and I hope they touched all the other students.

Rider University, Lawrenceville,

New Jersey:

Presentation to Graduate

 Psychopathology

 Class for Dr. Jim Murphy.

 Presentation lasted for 2 hours.

 

 I want to thank you once again for your dynamic and inspirational presentation in our Psychpathology classes last semester. I read the course evaluations last week and was not at all surprised to see that your presentation was listed as the most positive aspect of the course by the majority of students.

They stated that you were able to make academic material come alive, that your passion and hope reinforced their decisions to enter the helping field, and that your honesty and openness increased their belief in the possibility of positive change.

I hope you will be willing to come to my class this summer. Once again, Thank you so much for terrific work in my class.

Jim Murphy

 

 

 9th grade Student at Elizabeth High School Elizabeth, New Jersey

Dear Eric Arauz,

          I think the speech Eric gave on Friday was sensational and awesome. I think the speech he gave to us let us know that he really cares and wants to see us, everybody in the class, be successful. He taught about his struggles and how he was able to overcome to be someone great. I think he can save alot of people and change their lives.

I myself would personally and sincerely want to thank Eric with alot of love and appreciation. Thank you Eric.

October 14, 2007

To Whom It May Concern:

            I have known Eric Arauz for 10 years. Eric and I went to Rutgers together, and we both lived in New Brunswick for several years. I have had Eric speak to a variety of populations that I have worked with over the last four years.

            In 2004, I worked at Integrity House (Secaucus) as a Drug & Alcohol Counselor.  Shortly after getting hired, Eric came and spoke to the residents of B house (the clients I primarily served at Integrity). Eric spent an hour and a half telling his story (focusing primarily on his family and his problems with alcohol & drugs) and answering questions. He spoke to about 40 residents with an age range from 18 to 55. The racial make-up of the group included Hispanic, black, white and Asian clients. Eric captivated and inspired his audience and was extremely open about his life. He was clearly motivated to answer every question that was asked of him with thoroughness and care.

I spent first year as an MSW Intern at Integrity House running specialized groups for MICA (mentally-ill, chemically addicted) clients. Once again, I had Eric come to Integrity House to speak to my clients. This time, I had him talk about his bi-polar diagnosis. He talked about therapy, medication compliance (and non-compliance) and the vital importance of having a program of recovery. At the end of the year, my clients told me that the highlight of the group was the visit by Eric, because he provided them a real life example of someone who was thriving in life despite having a dual-diagnosis.

In 2006, I took a job at Elizabeth High School as an English teacher. During the fourth week of school, Eric came and talked to all three of my classes (two Freshmen classes for 1.5 hours and one Junior class for .75 hours).  Eric spoke about his family, his dual diagnoses and the importance of education. He wove Walt Whitman, Ice Cube, Public Enemy and modern TV programs into his speech in order to connect with my students (Elizabeth is a high-minority, highly impoverished community). My students adored him. One group of students presented a project on Eric in November (complete with an elaborate sketch of him speaking to the class), and throughout the year, my students asked me about him.

Eric returned to EHS this fall to speak to my classes again. I have my Freshmen from last year as Sophomores this year, but my Juniors are new to me. I asked Eric to talk about the following this year: (1) the importance of education; (2) the importance of role models & mentors; and (3) how people wear masks. Eric did a great deal of research, and wound that research into his message and refocused his biography to hit upon my requested points.

Eric can speak to a wide variety of audiences on a multitude of topics. He is fundamentally motivated to see people improve and succeed in life. I cannot recommend or speak highly of him enough.

  Sincerely,                                                                                              Frank L. Greenagel Jr., MSW, LSW       

 

B