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GPS Group Peer Support Earns 2025 Global Recognition Award for Peer-Led Mental Health Model

GPS Group Peer Support has secured a 2025 Global Recognition Award for changing behavioral health delivery through an innovative group support model that addresses America's escalating mental health crisis. The Massachusetts-based organization has demonstrated exceptional reach by providing free, evidence-based therapeutic services to thousands of individuals who would otherwise face extended waiting periods for traditional one-on-one therapy. CEO Liz Friedman co-founded the organization to challenge the fundamental assumption that behavioral health services must follow a one-to-one clinical model. GPS Group Peer Support trains professionals and individuals with lived experience to facilitate trauma-informed, culturally responsive group sessions that research shows can be equally or more effective than individual therapy. The model multiplies access and reduces costs for frontline workers, mothers, people in recovery, and marginalized communities across Massachusetts and nationally. Systemic Innovation and Legislative Impact GPS Group Peer Support has distinguished itself by integrating professional and peer-led support, clinical best practices, and policy advocacy into a unified framework that operates at scale while maintaining responsiveness to local community needs. The organization launched MASStrong, a first-in-the-nation initiative providing free mental health support groups for healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts. The program has served as a model for other states seeking to address workforce mental health challenges. Partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the American Psychological Foundation, Perinatal Support International, the MA Association for Behavioral Healthcare, and numerous community organizations have enabled GPS Group Peer Support to develop sustainable systems for scaling evidence-based services statewide. Friedman’s advocacy work demonstrates how GPS Group Peer Support bridges personal change and public health innovation through legislative action, as she played a leading role in introducing the MA GROUP legislation. If passed, the GROUP ACT will reimagine mental health funding in Massachusetts by integrating group therapeutic services into the healthcare system. "This legislation could provide support to over 3.5 million more people nationally if just 10 percent of individual therapy sessions were to shift to a group format," Friedman stated. Her legislative expertise extends beyond behavioral health, as evidenced by her leadership and contributions to the passage of the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2017, the Massachusetts Ending Child Marriage Act of 2022, and the Massachusetts Equitable Disability Act of 2020. Market Disruption and Measurable Outcomes GPS Group Peer Support has achieved considerable scale through its innovative model, which challenges traditional approaches to delivering and financing behavioral health services while demonstrating that community healing is possible and essential for addressing mental health access gaps. The organization has facilitated thousands of group peer support sessions because the approach creates scalable and cost-effective pathways that can be easily integrated into existing programs without significant infrastructure costs. The model integrates cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based stress reduction into group formats that create environments of mutual respect, compassion, and safety for all participants. The organization's impact extends beyond numbers to fundamental shifts in how communities understand and access mental health support while reducing stigma associated with seeking help. State legislators have invited Friedman to brief them on the future of behavioral health services. The National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter, has recognized her leadership in trauma-informed group approaches, offering GPS webinars and support groups to its members. She received the TED Women's Award for her work on behalf of mothers. She appeared in two award-winning documentaries on perinatal mental health, "Dark Side of the Full Moon" and "Not Carol," which amplified the message of GPS Group Peer Support that when people heal together, they heal stronger. "We ensure no one faces emotional pain in isolation by creating accessible, evidence-based pathways to healing that don't depend on costly one-on-one clinical models," Friedman explained. This approach has proven particularly critical for populations facing long wait times or geographic barriers to services. Final Words Friedman brings over 30 years of experience in community care and maternal mental health to her role as CEO of GPS Group Peer Support while demonstrating leadership that combines compassion with strategic thinking to build systems that treat the person and the community as a whole. GPS Group Peer Support is one of the only organizations in the nation that integrates peer-led support, clinical best practices, and policy advocacy into a single, scalable framework while maintaining the flexibility to adapt programming for diverse communities, including refugees, healthcare workers, perinatal parents, and many others. She currently serves on the inaugural advisory group of the MA Behavioral Health Workforce Center, a component of the MA Health Policy Commission. This position places GPS Group Peer Support at the center of statewide policy reform, ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience shape the future of mental health legislation. Alex Sterling, a spokesperson for Global Recognition Awards, remarked, "Liz Friedman and GPS Group Peer Support exemplify the innovation and systemic thinking required to solve complex global challenges because they're not just expanding access to behavioral health services but fundamentally reimagining how entire populations can access healing through community-based models that are evidence-based and deeply human." GPS Group Peer Support continues to expand its reach through partnerships, training programs, and legislative advocacy while reshaping the narrative of what healing looks like. The organization equips facilitators with skills that go beyond traditional training to strengthen their ability to hold safe, trauma-informed spaces where participants can experience meaningful change. About Global Recognition Awards Global Recognition Awards is an international organization that recognizes exceptional companies and individuals who have significantly contributed to their industry.