National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy
Howard Trachtman is a Massachusetts activist and the creator and web master of www.m-power.org, the website of M-POWER, the consumer-directed Massachusetts mental health advocacy organization. He has been active with M-POWER for many years; he currently serves as Board President and is the organizer of the Boston Chapter.
Mr. Trachtman was most recently a research associate for Consumer Quality Initiatives. CQI is a consumer-led organization that facilitates consumer evaluations of behavioral health programs and providers, and advises the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership, independent provider agencies, and peer-led organizations in consumer-directed and recovery-based program planning, quality improvement, and evaluation. CQI informs state policymakers of the needs and ideas of mental health consumers with the goal of strengthening the role of consumers in their advisory councils and committees.
Howard has also been President of the Metro-Suburban DMH Area Board for many years. He is the immediate past co-chair of the Massachusetts Protection and Advocacy Council (PAIMI). Mr. Trachtman is the immediate past co-chair of the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership's consumer advisory council. He is also a board member of NAMI-MASS, and is on the executive committee of NAMI's Consumer Council and chairs the Council's Restraint and Seclusion Committee. Mr. Trachtman has been a long time member of the human rights committee of the Edinburg Center. He has also served as a member of the DMH consumer advisory council, a member of the Chaverim Shel Shalom advisory council, co-chair of the DMH Wellness Initiative and as a board member of PLAN of Massachusetts.
Mr. Trachtman also is a web designer who created and maintains the M-POWER website and maintains the websites of the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee.
Mr. Trachtman received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration/ Management Information Systems from Northeastern University in 1994. He has been honored with the JVS All-star award, Edinburg Center Shining Star award, a Commissioner's award in Recovery & Rehabilitation award from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH), and the 2003 NAMI-MASS Consumer of the Year award.