GAIN

The Problem

People living with serious mental illness often find themselves cut off from the everyday fabric of community life — the social connections, practical resources, and opportunities that most people take for granted. They may know where to go for treatment, but have no idea where to find a job training program, a welcoming social club, a food pantry that treats people with dignity, or simply someone to spend time with.

Much of the knowledge that connects people to community life lives in the heads of experienced caseworkers. When those workers are young, new, or burned out — as is increasingly the case — the people they serve are left to figure things out on their own, with no map and no guide.

What GAIN Does

GAIN is a mobile platform — powered by generative AI — that helps clients find resources and connect with community members to build a meaningful life in their community. Unlike clinical apps, GAIN focuses entirely on the practical and social dimensions of recovery.

GAIN is not a static directory. It is a living, community-powered platform where users are both the audience and the contributors.

• Community Resources Food pantries, job training, transportation, housing, health services — searchable by location and interest.

• Peer Ratings Resources rated and reviewed by people with lived experience — not just listed, but evaluated.

• Crowdsourced Database Users build and maintain the resource database — keeping it current in ways no professionally maintained directory can.

• Personalized Alerts Notifications when new resources or activities matching a user's interests appear in their county.

• Interest Groups Users organize their own Special Interest Groups and meetups — hiking, cooking, job seeking, and more.

• AI Guidance Personalized suggestions and plain-language support — like having an experienced case manager available 24/7.

How It Works

When someone joins GAIN they set up a simple profile — their neighborhood, their interests, and what they're looking for. From there, the app suggests relevant resources nearby, alerts them when something new comes up that fits their interests, and connects them with other users who share similar goals. People can rate and review the resources they use, add new ones they discover, and organize their own groups and meetups. Over time the platform becomes smarter and more useful as the community builds it together.

See a prototype of G.A.I.N. here: https://gainhealth.netlify.app

Vision and Scale

GAIN is being developed in partnership with organizations that prioritize person-centered care, such as peer-run organizations or nonprofit agencies that affirmatively hire people in recovery. Initially, the focus will be on people using mental health services and living in stable housing or staying in shelters in New York City. Over time, a range of disability groups and other high-need populations could be added. Almost anyone on Medicaid could be a potential app user - over 8 million individuals in New York State and millions more throughout the U.S.

Rooted in the well-established model of self-directed care — widely used across disability services and person-centered planning — GAIN extends that philosophy into daily community life. The platform is designed for long-term financial sustainability through partnerships with government, provider organizations, Medicaid managed care organizations, and health networks, with no fees to consumers.

GAIN is an original concept developed by Steve Coe. The platform name, design, written materials, and underlying concept are protected intellectual property.

For additional background information about Steve Coe and his experience developing mental health services, see Symposium Presentation: Ethics and History of Deinstitutionalization (April 2026)

© 2026 Steve Coe. Collaborative development and partnership inquiries are welcome — contact Steve to discuss terms