

Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, developed Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) with a group of people with lived experience who were attending a mental health recovery workshop in 1997. She is the original author of the WRAP Red Book, as well as dozens of other WRAP books and materials. She has dedicated the last 30 years of her life to learning from people who have mental health issues; discovering the simple, safe, non-invasive ways they get well, stay well, and move forward in their lives; and then sharing what she has learned with others through keynote addresses, trainings, and the development of books, curriculums, and other resources. Now that she is retired, and that, as she intended, others are continuing to share what she has learned, she continues to learn from those who have mental health issues and those who support them. She is a frequent contributor to this site.


When Things Are Breaking Down
When Things Are Breaking Down By Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD “When things are breaking down” is the fourth section of WRAP, after your daily plan, stressors and action plan, and early warning signs and action plan sections. To me, it is the most important part of my WRAP...
Remembering My Friend Neal, a Passionate Advocate for Recovery
By Mary Ellen Copeland, one of WRAP’s originators Note: Neal Shifman, President, CEO, and Founder of Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) passed away on August 28. Mary Ellen Copeland entrusted Neal and his company to carry on the WRAP legacy after she...
Why WRAP Seminars Need a Safety Agreement: A Message from Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) and Mary Ellen Copeland
Dr. Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD If you’ve participated in a WRAP seminar, hopefully you’ve helped develop a group safety agreement. The safety agreement is a list of guidelines participants of a WRAP seminar collectively create to ensure each participant can express...
Memories, Moments, and Milestones: 25 Years of Wrap
Dr. Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD 25 years of WRAP. Astounding. Other programs and innovations have come and gone. WRAP persists. Incredible! So, so many people have been key to making that happen. I could not begin to list them here. Many thanks to all who’ve...