Frequently Asked Questions

Students With Psychosis is an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering students and advocates living with psychosis worldwide through community-building, service, and collaboration. Since our founding, we have registered 1,300+ students and advocates and collaborated with 100+ events across 12 countries, 23 U.S. states, and Washington, D.C.

There is a path for everyone:

• Students living with psychosis can join our free Student Membership.
• Families can join together through the Family Membership.
• Faculty and school staff can support a student as an Academic Liaison.
• Researchers and creatives can join the Researchers & Creatives Network.
• Students and allies can apply to our Internship Program.
• Supporters and organizations can make a donation or partner with us on outreach events and projects.

No. SWP is a peer support community, not a clinical or crisis service, and our staff office hours are not peer support or mental health counseling. Members are encouraged to keep working with their own care team. If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis line right away (in the U.S., call or text 988).

The Student Membership is free, and it always will be. It is a structured peer support community created by and for students living with psychosis, and it is open to students 18 or older. Student Membership requires an Academic Liaison (see below). Students under 18 can join through the Family Membership.

Because SWP is a large virtual community, every student member joins with an Academic Liaison: a faculty or staff member at your school, or a contact at an SWP partner organization. Your liaison verifies your identity and academic affiliation and serves as a trusted point of contact outside SWP. If you do not have a liaison, or are not currently enrolled in school, the Family Membership does not require one.

Members can join twice-daily live chats, a daily study group, a weekly peer support group, a weekly discussion group, a weekly creative workshop, and a weekly game night, plus virtual guest speaker events and monthly social mixers. Community boards and Study Hall on SWP Campus are open 24/7. All participation is guided by our Community Agreement.

Yes. While most programming is virtual, members get complimentary access to SWP-hosted outreach events, including a free ticket to the Students With Psychosis Conference in Fall 2027, where you can meet other members in person.

No camera is required. All SWP video calls run on Google Meet, and you can join from a computer, tablet, or phone by video, audio only, or in-call text messaging. Built-in features include live captions, screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and adjustable caption size. Groups are facilitated in English with live translated captions available in more than 70 languages.

Yes. There are no country or regional requirements. Please note that our Resource Directory is primarily U.S.-based for now.

For students on a leave of absence or mental health break, the College Re-entry Program offers structured engagement during leave. Students collaborate with peers on outreach, research, or media projects throughout the semester, and SWP provides a formal letter to the school documenting hours completed and skills demonstrated, which can strengthen re-entry petitions. The program runs through our Internship Program; apply and indicate you would like to be included.

The Family Membership is $150 USD per year, billed annually, with rolling enrollment. It covers your student plus up to two family members and includes everything in the Student Membership, a one-on-one introductory and account setup call, twice-weekly virtual Family Huddles, and early access to the College Re-entry Program and an optional Gala leadership role.

Family Membership dues help keep the Student Membership free for every student. They support the mission of Students With Psychosis and allow SWP to give each family the individualized attention their situation requires.

Yes, through the Family Membership. It does not require school enrollment or an Academic Liaison, because the family provides that verification and support. Students under 18 participate under the supervision of a parent or guardian, and only in programming an adult can attend alongside them.

Become an Academic Liaison. You confirm the student’s enrollment and serve as a trusted contact who connects their virtual community to their school. There is no minimum time commitment: you decide how involved you want to be. As a thank-you, liaisons receive a free Researchers & Creatives Network membership that renews every year.

You confirm that you know and support the student’s affiliation with your institution and agree to be a point of contact for their membership. You are not responsible for supervising, monitoring, or preventing a student’s conduct in SWP, and you are not liable for their actions. SWP alone enforces its Community Agreement. If a student withdraws for medical or academic reasons, SWP, not the liaison, advocates for their return through the College Re-entry Program.

Yes. SWP collaborates with academic institutions including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, and organizations such as Mental Health America, NAMI, and the United Nations. To discuss a collaboration, email info@sws.ngo, and browse our Outreach Events & Projects to see past work.

The Researchers & Creatives Network is a $50 annual membership for researchers, academics, writers, artists, filmmakers, and other creative professionals whose work intersects with psychosis. Members can attend virtual guest speaker events, apply to present their own work, and connect with our community. It is an individual membership, not a corporate or partnership program.

Network members can post survey links or invite our membership to focus group sessions. To keep our community safe and student-centered, every survey, focus group topic, and speaker proposal is reviewed by our team first, including how participants are recruited, how data is handled, and whether the framing aligns with our values.

Our Internship Program welcomes students living with psychosis and students passionate about supporting the mental health community, from all backgrounds and across the world. Applicants must be 18 or older. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and internships are virtual with select hybrid options. Tracks include Communications & Social Media Advocacy, Nonprofit Operations & Event Planning, Research & Education, Graphic Design & Digital Content Creation, and Peer Support & Community Outreach. We also work with interns who need practicum, internship hours, or college credit.

You can make a donation to help keep the Student Membership free (SWP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 83-0530404), subscribe to the SWP Newsletter at the bottom of this page, and explore our Accommodations Database and Resource Directory, which are free and open to the public. Have a question not answered here? Email us at info@sws.ngo.