Karen Milstein is an author, Certified Peer Specialist (CPS), and amateur anthropological linguist with a lengthy history of involvement in the psychiatric system. She completed a BA in Linguistics and German from the University of Michigan. She has tread on both sides of the system’s fence: as a consumer and provider for well over two decades. Karen has worked extensively in peer support for over two decades, including at Forward Solutions Community Support Program and Orchestra X for over twelve years as a CPS and Program Manager/peer support at Cornucopia, a peer-run arts and wellness center. She has also worked as a Mental Health Technician at Yahara House clubhouse, New Directions and Recovery House. She has written extensively about her experiences, in newsletters, on Facebook, in classes, and in this memoir, The Grammar of Madness: Mapping a Mind Across Cultures and Crises. She has presented about her mental health challenges at National Alliance of Mental Illness venues, on Madison, Wisconsin WORT-AM radio, at conferences, and abroad in Japan. Both of her parents were traumatized, lending Karen a two-edged sword, being challenged herself and blessed with unconditional love. Karen is passionate about life, language, and human nature. Karen lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
