Free Peer Mental Health Recovery Center Memphis, TN | TMHCA
The Tennessee Mental Health Consumers’ Association (TMHCA) Peer Center in Memphis is a free, consumer-led peer support center where adults living with mental health and substance use conditions can learn about recovery, find peer connection, and spend the day in community — all for free. Part of Tennessee’s statewide network of 45 Peer Support Centers, the TMHCA Memphis Center is intentionally non-clinical and centered on the lived experience of its members and staff.
What to Expect
The center is located at 1407 Union Avenue, Suite 810, Memphis, TN, and is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Peer Center offers at least one weekly peer support group plus daily drop-in programming. Members can come for an hour, a full day, or whatever fits their week. Transportation to and from the center is free — TMHCA provides members in need two single-ride MATA bus tickets each day the center is open, which removes one of the most common barriers to accessing peer support. Programming is intentionally low-key: conversation, group activities, peer recovery learning, and the simple, durable benefit of being in a room with others who understand.
Who This Group Is For
Adults 18 and older in the Memphis area living with mental illness, substance use disorder, or both. The center is explicitly designed for people who would benefit from a peer-run space — including those who have cycled through clinical care, those who have never engaged with traditional treatment, and those who simply want community with others who get it. No diagnosis, referral, or insurance is required.
Why Peer Support Works
Peer-run recovery centers consistently outperform clinical-only models for long-term recovery and engagement because they offer something treatment cannot: a steady, daily community of people in recovery, available without an appointment and free of the medical gaze. Tennessee’s investment in 45 Peer Support Centers statewide reflects evidence that this model reduces hospitalization, improves housing stability, and gives members real, sustained connection across the state. The free MATA tickets are a small detail that matters enormously to Memphis members, where transportation routinely sits at the top of access barrier surveys for behavioral health services.
How to Join
Drop in at 1407 Union Avenue, Suite 810, Memphis, TN, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. No appointment is needed. For details about programming, the weekly support group schedule, or transportation, visit tmhca-tn.org/programs/peer-center or call the center directly. The Tennessee Statewide Crisis Line is also available 24/7 at 855-274-7471 for anyone needing immediate support between visits.