Bill Burns-Lynch, Clinical Manager

Bill Burns-Lynch, M.A., CPRP, joined the Friends Connection of Philadelphia as Clinical Manager in May of 2000. He received his Bachelor's degree from Wheeling Jesuit University in 1985 and earned his Master's degree in Counseling in 1989 from the College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College).

Bill earned the designation Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) from the International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services (IAPSRS). He has received advanced graduate training from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Psychology, in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Since the completion of his Master's degree he has worked in various capacities in the Philadelphia behavioral health system. He has experience providing outreach and engagement activities to individuals who are homeless; the provision of direct clinical services, including individual and group psychotherapy; and in program development, supervision, and administration.

Bill also provides psychiatric rehabilitation, mental health, and addiction education to both staff and consumers, and conducts workshops at both state and national level conferences. He recently published an article on adopting innovative programs based on his experience developing and implementing a peer-based psychiatric emergency room diversion program (Burns-Lynch, B. & Salzer, M. (2001). Adopting Innovations: Lessons Learned From A Peer-Based Hospital Diversion Program, Community Mental Health Journal, December, Vol. 37, No. 6).

Bill tells us that he is excited to be a part of the Friends Connection because the program's philosophy is so closely rooted in his belief that people with mental illness and substance abuse issues can and do recover. Recovery and minimizing the negative impact of the illness is enhanced when people are actively engaged in decisions regarding their own rehabilitation plans and activities. Here at the Friends Connection it is just that kind of partnership that we actively work to create with our program participants.

Bill Burns-Lynch
Friends Connection
520 N. Delaware Avenue, 2nd Floor, Suite 200,
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Telephone: 215-599-4011
Fax: 215-923-2133
bburnslynch@pmhcc.org