---
title: 'Professor Fred Vars Publishes New Book on Peer-Led Mental Health Treatment'
date: '2026-05-12T10:45:16-05:00'
type: post
word_count: 295
char_count: 2105
tokens: 384
categories:
  - Faculty
  - 'Latest News'
---

# Professor Fred Vars Publishes New Book on Peer-Led Mental Health Treatment

[![Cover of "Through the Fire: How People with Mental Illness are Empowering Each Other" by Professor Fredrick E. Vars](https://law.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ThroughTheFire_Mech_1-683x1024.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/Through-Fire-People-Illness-Empowering/dp/1493087835)Professor Fred Vars, a leading expert on mental health law, has published his latest book, *Through the Fire: How People with Mental Illness are Empowering Each Other.*

*Through the Fire* focuses on successful, impactful peer-led mental health response programs that have already been implemented, and proposes a shift in thinking about mental health as a condition rather than a character flaw. Professor Vars’ own experiences with mental health treatment give him a unique perspective on how traditional treatments, like inpatient psychiatric hospitals and police-led responses, can negatively impact the person experiencing the crisis — with sometimes deadly consequences. Professor Vars recently appeared on [an episode of All Of It with Alison Stewart](https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/all-of-it/articles/mental-heath-mondays-how-people-with-mental-illnesses-are-influencing-reforms) to discuss the book and to advocate for effective peer-led mental health programs.

Throughout his career, Professor Vars has been a consistent advocate for the rights of people with mental illness, including with his co-author, Ian Ayres (Yale Law School), in the 2020 book, *Weapon of Choice: Fighting Gun Violence While Respecting Gun Rights.* On that topic, he has been working to enact [Donna’s Law](https://www.donnaslaw.com/) in state legislatures across the US, which creates a voluntary, temporary “do-not-sell” registry for firearms to prevent gun suicide. With bipartisan support, it has been passed in Washington, Utah, Virginia, Delaware, and Colorado, and is set for debate in other states.

[You can find *Through the Fire* on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Through-Fire-People-Illness-Empowering/dp/1493087835) or wherever books are sold.