Howard D. Trachtman is the co-founder and on the leadership team of the
Metro Boston and Southeast Recovery Learning Communities and is a Certified Peer Specialist, a Certified Older Adult Peer Specialist and a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner.

Mr. Trachtman’s personal experience with receiving many forms of mental health treatment has led him to become a strong advocate for people labeled with psychiatric illness.  Mr. Trachtman has served on many mental health related boards and committees, frequently serving as President,Chair or Co-Chair.  

The boards he has been on in the past or currently include the chair of the PAIMI (Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness) of the Disability Law Centerthe Disability Law Center Board Board of Directors, the MBHP Consumer Advisory Council, Center Club Advisory Board, Department of Mental Health State Mental Health Planning Council, One Care Implementation Council, Transcomm, DMH Restraint and Seclusion Committees, NAMI Massachusetts board of directors,NAMI GBCAN, NAMI Boston, Massachusetts Representative to NAMI National Peer Leadership Council, 

President of the DMH Metro Suburban Area Board, Edinburg Center Human Rights Committee, M-POWER/Transformation Center and Chair of the NAMI Advocacy Committee.

He is also a frequent presenter nationally on topics including restraint & seclusion growth of peer-run programs, managed care, entrepreneurship and warmlines. He has served three times as a Federal Peer Reviewer for PAIMI programs.

Mr. Trachtman attended MIT at the age of 16 and graduated with honors from Northeastern University
with a degree in Business Administration/Management Information Systems.

In 2003, Mr. Trachtman was awarded a Commissioner’s award for his work on Recovery and
Rehabilitation from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and
also was the NAMI Massachusetts Consumer of the Year.  In 2005, Mr. Trachtman received
the Advocate of the Year award from NAMI Greater Boston CAN (Consumer Affiliate/Advocacy
Network.) 

In 2008 he was honored with the Ken Steele award from the NAMI National Consumer Council. In 2012 he was honored with the NAMI National Consumer Council Gloria Huntley award for his work with restraint and seclusion. He also has been recognized by awards from the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee, the Edinburg Center, the Disability Law Center Boston Medical Center, MBHP, and Jewish Vocational Service. 

Most recently he has received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Peer Advocacy and Support from NAMI National and will be receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Kiva Centers later in June.