Special Announcement

The Future of WRAP: Empowering Growth the WRAP Way

October 28, 2025

The WRAP Team and AHP leadership are thrilled to announce that Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) will become a stand-alone nonprofit as of January 1, 2026, known as WRAP, Inc. Its priority mission will continue to be WRAP.

The mission of WRAP and Mary Ellen Copeland’s vision have always been to share the evidence-based practice of WRAP with as many people around the world as possible—helping them find and keep well-being and hope. AHP and the WRAP Team have been making her vision a reality, and transitioning to a nonprofit allows even more expansion and innovation.

All WRAP ownership, intellectual property, and copyrights will transfer to WRAP, Inc. In addition, Mary Ellen will remain involved as a senior advisor and reviewer of new and updated publications, and she will serve as an emeritus board member.

Mary Ellen shared, “I am so excited that WRAP is moving into the not-for-profit world. This is another huge step forward in making WRAP available for everyone, everywhere, who wants and needs it.”

AHP CEO Noah Shifman added, “Spinning WRAP out as its own nonprofit isn’t just a structural change — it’s about giving it the freedom and focus to reach its full potential. This next chapter will open doors to new opportunities and partnerships and ultimately help WRAP touch even more lives around the world.”

What to Expect

The goal is for this transition to be seamless for the WRAP community. There shouldn’t be any noticeable impact on day-to-day operations, training, materials, communications, or user experience. The evidence-based practice of WRAP and the WRAP Team remain the same:

• Lynn Patrone-Miller, Executive Director
• Mary Jaffe, Director of Operations and Publications
• Sarah Farmer, Community and Communications Manager
• Laurie Wyse, Administrative Assistant

The Team will work quickly to resolve any challenges, should they arise, and are happy to answer any questions from the WRAP community.

Our WRAP Team and new board of directors look forward to working with licensees, WRAP Centers of Distinction, and the WRAP community as it develops ways to broaden the reach of WRAP around the world. In addition, WRAP Inc. will continue to collaborate on any current or future AHP projects that include bringing WRAP to specific communities or populations.

Becoming a nonprofit organization opens exciting opportunities to fulfill WRAP’s mission of “helping people create the life and wellness they want” by:

• Offering WRAP trainings in more countries outside of the United States and Canada.
• Taking steps to make WRAP even more accessible.
• Collaborating with other nonprofits and holding regional events where WRAP community members can meet, learn, and build connections.
• Partnering with organizations that are doing WRAP-related research.
• Expanding WRAP publications, including children’s books; WRAP for teens; WRAP for perinatal, pregnancy, and postpartum challenges; WRAP for farmers and ranchers, including those who are veterans; WRAP for indigenous populations; and WRAP for schools.
• Focusing on accreditation standards and close monitoring of WRAP around the world to ensure fidelity to the evidence-based practice of WRAP.

Continue focusing on ensuring fidelity to the evidence-based practice of WRAP around the world and that only currently certified Facilitators and Advanced Level Facilitators are facilitating WRAP and using copyrighted materials (available in the WRAP bookstore).

“We are committed to the fidelity of WRAP. We will continue building relationships and collaborating with the WRAP community to ensure we provide support and ways for WRAP to be accessible to all,” stated Lynn Patrone-Miller. “We hope you’re as excited as we are about the possibilities this transition opens to WRAP and our worldwide community.”

As evidenced at the October WRAP Symposium in Montana, the WRAP community is a passionate and compassionate community of peers who take the well-known phrase to heart by “being the change you [we] want to see in the world.”

Staying Certified as a WRAP Facilitator or ALF

March 31, 2025

We thank all Facilitators and ALFs for adhering to the WRAP Values and Ethics and for maintaining fidelity. WRAP is only truly WRAP if it follows evidence-based practice. Everyone taking seminars deserves what has been proven to work.

We’ve found there is some confusion in the field about what is needed to maintain certification as a WRAP Facilitator and Advanced Level Facilitator (ALF). So to ensure worldwide fidelity to evidence-based practice, and to align with other respected professional peer support and mental health certification programs, Refreshers (Facilitators) or Recertification (ALFs) are required to remain certified.

Here are the guidelines:

WRAP FACILITATORS

Although we strongly encourage all Facilitators to attend a Refresher every 2 years, we are providing the following flexibility:

• Facilitators who have not attended a Refresher in the past 5 years should attend a Refresher by April 1, 2026.
• Facilitators who have certified or taken a Refresher in the past 5 years should continue to take a Refresher every 2 to 5 years.

After the 5-year mark, Facilitators cannot co-facilitate WRAP Seminar I until they have completed a 12-hour Refresher.

Refreshers are offered online or in-person through WRAP or currently certified ALFs. We will be offering many WRAP Refreshers on a variety of topics, giving you the chance to expand your knowledge and skills while staying up to date.

The two Refreshers currently open for registration on the WRAP website are the one needed to co-facilitate Seminar I online. More topic-specific Refreshers will be posted next month and throughout the year.

WRAP ALFs

All WRAP ALFs must recertify every 2 years. There is no grace period for recertifying, as this has always been the requirement for ALFs. ALFs who have not recertified and are past their 2 years cannot offer WRAP Seminar II until they have recertified.

ALF Recertification is only available through AHP and our licensed partner Step By Step.

If you’ve already been certified or recertified as an ALF through AHP or Step by Step, we will be offering virtual recertifications starting in 2026. As with Refreshers, these Recertifications will be more topic driven, so as to offer continuing education and skills rather than a repeat of Seminar III.

Additional Requirements to Facilitate WRAP Trainings

Seminar I

• All Seminar I groups of more than two people must be co-facilitated by two or more currently certified Facilitators.

• Facilitators cannot offer WRAP Seminar I online unless both have attended the WRAP Refresher about virtual facilitation.

• For Seminar I, Facilitators should ensure each participant has a copy of the Wellness Recovery Action Plan, Updated Edition (Red book), the WRAP Workbook, and least one copy of Crisis Plan On the Go. These are available through the WRAP bookstore. Some Facilitators provide the materials and others have participants purchase them individually through the WRAP website. There is a discount with bulk purchases.

• Use of adapted or copied WRAP materials is not allowed. All WRAP publications and training materials are copyrighted by AHP. They cannot be copied, adapted, or altered in any way or it is a legal violation.

Seminar II

• All Seminar II groups must be co-facilitated by two or more currently certified ALFs.

• ALFs should provide a copy of the WRAP Facilitator Manual, Updated Edition to each participant.

• WRAP Seminar II must be held in person.

If you have questions, please contact us at info@wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com.

Certification and recertification as a WRAP Facilitator and/or ALF is a valuable certification that signals to peers, organizations, and agencies that you are current with your knowledge. This is standard practice for certifications for nearly every field.

If you cannot afford a Refresher, you can complete an application for the Neal Shifman and Mary Ellen Copeland Scholarship. These are awarded based on financial need and available space in trainings. You can request the application by writing to trainings@wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com.

2025 WRAP Symposium: Call for Presentations!

Mach 28, 2025

We’re now accepting proposals for presentations for the worldwide 2025 WRAP Symposium: Reach New Peaks, which will be held October 6-8, 2025, in Great Falls, Montana (USA). We want to showcase as many voices from the WRAP community as possible!

This is an opportunity to share your knowledge, areas of expertise, and creativity with other attendees. Possible topic areas include:

• Sharing WRAP with specific populations (e.g., youth/college students, people experiencing incarceration, people with addictions, caregivers).
• WRAP for life challenges (e.g., work, school, transitions, illness, aging, loss).
• WRAP recovery topics.
• Creative Wellness Tools and activities.
• Working with state agencies, securing funding, building a WRAP business.

To submit a proposal for one of the 50-minute presentation slots, go to: WRAP 2025 Call for Presentations

All proposals must be received by April 30, 2025.

We will soon send out a call for people to lead group wellness activities, such as yoga, meditation, dance, art, music, or anything else you’d like to share with others.

More information and early bird registration links will be available soon, so be on the lookout!