Watch "Making It Sane: The Story of a Nonprofit Operated by People with Mental Illness."

What is a CRO?
Our not-for-profit organizations are run by current and former consumers of mental health services. Some of us consider ourselves psychiatric survivors or ex-patients. We share in common the values expressed in this website.

This CRO website is designed for Kansas Consumer Run Organizations as a tool for communicating with each other, for sharing the CRO network mission, for submitting forms and reports online, and for celebrating the culture of recovery.

The CRO network consists of 20 SRS funded Consumer Run Organizations in Kansas with support and shared facilitation offered by the Self-Help Network under contract with Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Division of Health Care Policy, Mental Health.

Vision & Mission
Vision: That every CRO is an independent, confident, responsible, self-supporting, powerful, and empowered leadership organization.

Our mission is to encourage the growth of new and existing CROs throughout the state. The CRO network is consumer-driven and promotes improved operation of CROs as not-for-profit businesses.

Activities
Specific activities of the CRO Network include:

• Mutual support where common concerns can be shared and accomplishments celebrated
• Clearinghouse for materials used by CROs such as brochures, newsletters, policies and procedures, and program information
• Training in a wide range of areas including grant applications and fundraising, program reporting, shared leadership, etc.
• Program information sharing through telephone and email contacts, visiting of each other's programs, and use of the buddy system
• Public and professional education offered to raise awareness of what CROs provide
• Program development including new initiatives such as consumer run recovery models
• Statewide website designed for consumers by consumers

NOTE: The CRO Network is not involved in political action such as lobbying or education about the legislative process. Individual consumers reserve the right to approach legislators as citizens about their concerns.