What We Do
At CIVITAS, our programming is guided by community-based perspectives and the belief that no one heals alone. We promote recovery as a collective process that restores dignity, meaning, and inclusion.
Core Perspectives Shaping Our Programming
Our programming recognizes that individual wellbeing is inseparable from the wellbeing of the communities in which people live. Mental health is shaped by families, peers, institutions, and cultural systems, so care must be interconnected, reaching people where they live, learn, and work. We understand that suffering is not only a personal experience but also shaped by societal meanings, and that true recovery restores dignity, belonging, and social cohesion. At the same time, we address both immediate needs and the root causes of distress, including inequality, exclusion, and violence, integrating protection, advocacy, and access to justice to ensure that individuals and communities can thrive with safety, rights, and empowerment.Ubuntu
“I am because we are.” This African philosophy reminds us that wellbeing is inseparable from our shared humanity and relationships with others.
Social Ecology of Mental Health
Mental health is shaped by families, communities, institutions, and culture. Care must therefore be layered and interconnected, reaching people where they live, learn, and work.
View of Suffering and Care
Mental health cannot be reduced to symptoms or treatment alone. It must also be understood in terms of how societies interpret suffering, how cultural systems give meaning to pain, and how communities restore balance and belonging.
Recovery as Collective
Healing is not only about the individual but about dignity, meaning, and social repair. Recovery happens when people are supported by families, peers, and communities, even when specialized care is required.