Lei Portugal Calloway believes that recovery is a fluid journey rather than a concrete destination, and with everyone she meets in the Mental Health Community she hopes to model recovery, resiliency and hope.

She can often be heard joking about being “over-qualified with Lived Experience” and shares her story with transparency and candor.

Lei has been with Telecare Corporation for 12 years, starting as a peer support specialist and the last eight years as a Peer Team Lead. She is a CalMHSA Medi-Cal Certified Peer Support Specialist, Certified Family/Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Specialist, Certified Personal Medicine Coach and Certified WRAP Facilitator, Women in Leadership (SMU) and a proud member of The Copeland Center, NAMI, CAMHPRO, Project Return, CCAPP and NAPS.

She has been a presenter and Keynote Speaker at events for MHA Meeting of the Minds, NAPS Conference and SHARE! Last year, Lei was awarded 2024 Outstanding Peer Professional, Mental Health Association of Orange County Community Service Award. And, most recently, she participated in the AB988/Crisis Policy Advisory Group on the development of recommendations to support a 5-Year Implementation Plan and the future of Crisis Care Continuum in California, which was submitted to the State Legislature in January 2025.

Lei’s “Ikigai” (a Japanese concept of blending passion, talent, purpose, and fulfillment, that involves intersecting what you love, are good at, what the world needs and pays you for) includes supporting and empowering other peer professionals as well as providing impactful peer services to those she serves and supports.