Check out previous conference presentations on YouTube
Downloadable PDF of previous Conference Schedule with Video links
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Self-help, Mutual Aid and Peer Support Interest Group of the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) Division 27 of the American Psychological Association and SHARE! the Self-Help And Recovery Exchange
Includes presenters from Yale, University of Texas, Rutgers University, George Mason University, University of South Carolina, Columbia U School of Social Work and more as well as Peer Workers from all over the world.
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Lived Experience as Pedagogy: Integrating Experts into Curricula WATCH VIDEO
Participants will be introduced to an innovative pedagogical design where ‘experts by experience’(consumers and/or peer specialist) contribute to student learning about mental health service contexts and recovery in an entry-level occupational therapy program. Description of how the experience of individuals with lived experience may be elevated within a course design will be reviewed. Strategies for establishing partnerships between academic institutions and organizations for hiring, incorporating and supporting ‘experts by experience’ into academic curriculum as active co-contributors will also be discussed.
Celso Delgado, Jr., OTD, OTR/L, BCMH is an Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. His research interests include mental health and diversity and inclusion and his clinical experience has been in Full Service Partnership programs since 2006. He is joined by lived experience experts Maggie Yeo and John Travers.
WATCH VIDEO Obaro Okopie Training Peer Workers in Mental and Behavioral Health
With-you and the Survivor Researcher Network (SRN)
With-you and the Survivor Researcher Network (SRN) are two UK-based organizations who have worked closely together
on topics related to peer support: With-you providing specialist training and consultancy, and SRN offering peer
support for researchers working from a lived experience perspective. Both organizations are led by people with lived
experience. This session offers brief descriptions of some of our work and practice, with time for reflection, discussion
and shared learning.
Karen Machin, a researcher and group support leader who works from a perspective of lived experience and has a
specific interest in peer supporters’ use of digital technologies.
Sonia Thompson is a Co-Director of the Survivor Researcher Network and a member of the Lived Experience Advisory
Board at the Centre for Society and Mental Health at Kings College London.
Dr Jacqui Lovell works with individuals, groups and communities using approaches to effect social change that
reflect the needs and aspirations of people at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
Training Peer Workers in Mental and Behavioral Health: Developing a Measure of Peer Support WATCH VIDEO
This presentation will detail the methodology used in evaluating peer support workers and their methods for intervention. Peer support systems are critical for mental health crisis mitigation and individual recovery. Because PSWs share a common lived experience with those they serve, it is essential they have the necessary skills to appropriately support others when drawing from their lived experiences. This evaluation tool helps us to better examine the validity of peer support interventions and corroborate other pertinent outcomes such as peer worker contribution, social and empathic self-efficacy, and job satisfaction.
Tobi Okopie is a third year MD/MPH candidate in El Paso TX. She received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Georgetown University in December of 2019. Since then, she has focused her efforts on developing a stronger knowledge base for social interventions that amplify and support human rights.
WATCH VIDEO Tobi Okopie- Presentation Materials
Care of the carer – empowering community adolescent treatment supporters to deal with professional and personal challenges in Zimbabwe WATCH VIDEO
Research conducted by Zvandiri, a peer-led differentiated service delivery intervention for HIV positive children and young people implemented at scale in Zimbabwe and 10 sub-Saharan countries demonstrates that while Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS) provide a unique and effective service, engaging closely with peers around difficulties that often mirror their own, can risk increasing their own vulnerability. To ensure the health and effectiveness of CATS, Zvandiri developed a support model which begins with careful selection, initial training, ongoing onsite and virtual mentorship, and CATS care including adherence support, viral load monitoring, SRH, mental health
screening and support for identified problems.
Nicola Willis is the Executive Director of Zvandiri and paediatric and adolescent HIV nurse specialist. She holds an MPhil in Public Mental Health, is Co-Chair of WHO’s Adolescent HIV Service Delivery Technical Working Group and member of WHO’s HIV Guidelines Committee. In 2021, she was awarded a Rainer Arnold Fellowship from Mulago Foundation. Carol Wogrin is a Community Adolescent Treatment Supporter (CATS)
WATCH VIDEO Nicola Willis – Presentation Materials
Strengthening the Peer Workforce through Human Resource Development: Validation of the Lived Experience Workforce Capacity Model WATCH VIDEO
Lacy Dicharry, MS, MS, MBA, a trauma survivor and foster care alumna, combines lived experience, academic rigor, and transformational
leadership to achieve healing-centered workforce outcomes.
Building a Peer Centered Strategy to Guide Our Work WATCH VIDEO
Strategic planning can mitigate the risk of co-optation while maximizing the opportunities for developing and expanding
Peer Services. The attention and investment of the larger mental health system provides a welcome infusion of resources.
Intentionality is at the core of Peer Services work. If we can name our values and how they can work with us in the spirit of
mutuality, we can start from a sturdy foundation. We will present the work done at New Narrative, including: 1) Foundational
work prior to formation of the Peer Strategy Committee important to success 2) Overview of our process and milestones 3)
Learnings thus far Haven’s influences include mental health advocacy movements and my own lived experiences receiving mental wellness
support.
Haven Taylor has over 15 years’ experience working in the mental health field, including front-line peer and clinical support
roles, and building teams and programming.
Kells Perry has 6 years’ Peer experience including direct support and managing Peer programs, also chairing the Peer Advisory Board
for 2 years. Kells is trained in Intentional Peer Support and ASIST and identifies as Queer and a Mental Health Peer.
WATCH VIDEO Haven Taylor Conference Materials
Better Mental Health for Everyone: Self-Help for Teens and Adults WATCH VIDEO
For 85 years, Recovery International (RI) has helped adults achieve better mental health using a 4-step self-help
method and cognitive-behavioral tools. This peer-led RI Method, is evidence-based and facilitated by trained leaders.
It focuses on reporting a situation rather than complaining about it, and replacing insecure thoughts with cognitive
behavioral tools learned in the program. With the Recovery Method, we learn to manage responses to common and
average events that get us worked up so we can live more peaceful and productive lives. This session will include a
panel demonstration of the 4-Step Method and participation of the audience. recoveryinternational.org
Angela Sullivan, RI Director of Special Projects
Celinda Jungheim, RI Area Leader for Los Angeles and Area Leader Task Force Committee, Trainer
Lynn Tumpa, RI Meeting Leader, Los Angeles area support RI through meeting
leadership and training.
WATCH VIDEO Angela Sullivan RI – Presentation Materials
Meeting Clients where they’re at: Peer Advocacy and Full-Service Partnership WATCH VIDEO
This presentation will focus on a peer advocate’s role in The Department of Mental Health (DMH) Full-service Partnership program(FSP). Peoples’ and peer advocates’ stories will be shared, including the good, the bad and the ugly. Reflect with a California state-certified peer support specialist working directly with clients in the greater Los Angeles County area who are currently, or have experienced, homelessness, substance use and mental health issues. Join in for a closer look into the lived experience of a peer support
specialist.
Jessica Romero, 47, has a 36-year-history of substance use, homelessness and mental health issues. She was trafficked as a child and removed from her home at 12. From group homes to foster care, institutions, jail and prison, she struggled with every day “normal” activities.
Peer & Clinicians Training Program Project Proposal VIDEO
Evidence shows that lack of understanding and support between peers and clinicians as service providers do injustice to and are a disservice in the
field of behavioral and mental health treatment. This problem is being recognized and acknowledged by a vast majority of service providers on
all sides, who are calling for a formalized training curriculum. A formal training curriculum may offer both camps, peers and clinicians alike, new
insights, awareness, skills, and tools to value each other’s contributions and support one another in more effective ways of serving the community.
Ehsan Gharadjedaghi, Psy.D. (Dr. G) received his Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology in 2009 at the American School for Professional Psychology, Orange County. Dr. G worked with at-risk youth on probation and high schoolers, HIV-affected populations, substance and sex addiction clients, trauma and domestic violence clients, elderly, and couples.
Orlando Vera is COO and co-founder of Peer Voices of Orange County (PVOC). Served as DBSA Board member, Vice President of DBSA, Certified Peer Trainer & Facilitator Orange County Regional Ambassador, Access California of Cal Voices, Justice intervention Advocate in Sacramento. Currently Collaborating with Addiction Institute / Norooz providing improved services for consumers.
VIDEO Ehsan Gharadjedaghi – Presentation Materials
Self-Care and Burnout Prevention Strategies for Substance Use Disorder Peer Support Workers VIDEO
Substance use peer support workers (PSWs) have lived experience in recovery and are trained to assist others in navigating care and recovery. Given their work, they are at increased risk for burnout. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 25 substance use PSWs in South Carolina to identify self-care practices and other burnout prevention strategies employed by PSWs. These included attending individual therapy, meditation, engaging in hobbies, exercising, taking breaks, establishing boundaries, participating in supervision, and reframing negative cognitions, among others. These strategies, their implementation, and their implications for reducing burnout among PSWs will be discussed in detail.
Sarah Miller is a psychology doctoral student and fellow for the Supporting Substance Use Disorder Services in South Carolina (SSUDS-SC) Center at the University of SouthCarolina under the mentorship of Dr. Sayward Harrison (co-presenter). They work clinically with individuals with substance use disorders in a therapeutic setting. Sarah Miller is a psychology doctoral student and fellow for the Supporting Substance Use Disorder Services in South Carolina (SSUDS-SC) Center at the University of South. Carolina under the mentorship of Dr. Sayward Harrison (co-presenter). They work clinically with individuals with substance use disorders in a therapeutic setting. VIDEO Sarah Miller – Presentation Materials
Recovery in depth: Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families VIDEO
A little known 12-step/12-tradition group, Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA), which will be described as a fundamental recovery program, applicable to all who suffered childhood trauma, provides healing from trauma. Various childhood traumas lead to many kinds of addictions and mental health issues addressed by self-help support groups. Research suggests that self-help support groups yield more benefits than the conventional use of a consumer-run wellness center alone. In addition to ACA, other 12-step/12-tradition groups (e.g., GROW for mental health, OA and AA for addictions), and Recovery International have research-based evidence of effectively providing in-depth recovery.
Thomasina Borkman, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology Emerita, George Mason University, has researched self-help support groups and has also personally participated in 12 step/12 tradition groups.
Nancy Alexander, Duke University and Harvard Divinity School, worked for global economic justice during her career. She is a member of two
Thomasina Borkman Nancy Alexander 12-step/12-tradition groups.
Peer Support and Mass Violence: Offering services to the Route 91 Harvest Festival and Borderline Event Survivors VIDEO
Give an Hour, a national non-profit manages the Route 91 Heals project, to benefit the survivors, first responders and family members of the Route 91 Harvest Festival and Borderline mass violence incidents. Since September, 2020 we’ve grown to offer ongoing support groups, psychoeducational activities and an active Peer Support network that is working with the Southern California region on its resilience, recovery and healing through the past five years. Long-term health and hope for trauma survivors via our specially designed Peer Support project which offers 1:1 connection and support with well-trained Peers is a cornerstone of our work.
Shane Meserve, Deputy Director, joined Give An Hour in September, 2020 to provide program leadership for the Route 91 Heals project. She comes from 5 years of efforts focused on embedding the Strengthening Families Framework (5 Protective Factors), Trauma Informed Care, reflective supervision and other prevention topics into training and consulting activities around the state of California with the Strategies project based in the Department of Social Services. She also spent 15 years with the YMCA and Girls Inc., running school age child care programs and other programs for children and families. She has a Masters of Public Administration from CSU, Northridge. She works with Molly Maurer, Program Manager & Lead Peer
Molly Maurer survived two mass shootings within a year of each other, at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest music festival
in 2017 and the Borderline Bar and Grill 2018. After those attacks, she found healing through the Give an Hour organization and started attending their weekly support groups for mass shooting survivors. VIDEO Shane Meserve – Presentation Materials
Addressing the Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage with Peer Support VIDEO
Behavioral health workforce shortages are becoming an emergency in the state of California. This presentation will focus on the
value of lived experience in service delivery and supervision and how this specialized role can support individuals, families, and
communities in accessing resources and supports in lieu of or while waiting for services through the Public Behavioral Health
System.
Stephanie Ramos, Education Director, oversees Cal Voices’ training programs related to peer support, advocacy, and recovery.
Richard Gallo. An advocate for individuals with disabilities and Secretary of the California Association of Peer Professionals.
Imani Lucas, Co-founder/Executive Director of United and Guided, a nonprofit dedicated to developing economic security and
emotional wellness in marginalized communities.
VIDEO Stephanie Ramos – Presentation Materials
How can we better serve veterans? VIDEO
Peer Veterans Roundtable:
Bel Nguyen, Peer Coordinator, SHARE! Recovery Retreat!!, Community Veterans Justice Project,
Terri Lynn Whetstone, Whole Person Care
Leon Peterson, Veteran
Lulu Gonzales, Founder, Lady Vets
Peer Connection: How to network professionally and collaborate with peers VIDEO
We must stay connected with our peer community. This community is more extensive than just the peers at your workplace; the connection is essential. How do you find likeminded people with lived experience and stay current about the peer movement? The answer is networking. In this presentation, you will:
– Learn about opportunities to network
– Craft your introduction to use when networking
– Discover why follow-up is essential to networking and how easy it is
Natalie Conrad is a program manager with the California Association of Mental Health Peer-Run Organizations (CAMHPRO). Natalie works to help peers across the state elevate
their leadership skills and learn entrepreneurship. After publicly revealing her diagnosis, Natalie Conrad left self-employment as a professional organizer behind. No longer held
back by stigma, she became a passionate mental health advocate.
VIDEO Natalie Conrad – Presentation Materials
Volunteer 2 Jobs Program VIDEO
Erin Bess is a 27-year-old Texas native and Peer Support Specialist for SHARE! Downtown LA. She started her self-help support group journey in 2020. As a member of an anonymous group, she spreads the word of hope, faith and courage as a method of informal support in these anonymous meetings and in her general life.
VIDEO Erin Bess – SHARE! Volunteer 2 Job – Presentation Materials
No, Nothing, None! Answers to Three Critical Questions about Supervision of Peer Support Workers
VIDEO
This 75-minute roundtable will be a lively, interactive conversation about foundational aspects of supervision. It is a facilitated dialogue in which panelists offer their experience and perspective on how supervisors often come into the role without adequate preparation and support- often what real world supervision may look like. Within the growing focus on peer supervision across the country, there are national efforts to understand and align supervision with peer support values; these strategies are critical to the success of the peer support workforce, whether at a peer-run organization or on an integrated, multi-disciplinary team in a traditional service setting. A national well-informed research perspective suggests answers to three compelling questions as added dimensions for success. This roundtable focuses on providing a perspective on successful supervision and dispels some of the myths surrounding this practice.
Joanne Forbes, PhD Rutgers University, Baltic Street AEH, Inc. consults nationally on system transformation and peer support service delivery, training, and supervision.
Rita Cronise, MS, ALWF, Distance Faculty, Rutgers University Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions and co-director of the Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center
(PeerTAC) and Coordinator for the Academy of Peer Services Virtual Learning Community.
Gita Enders, LMSW, MA, CPRP, NYCPS, Director of Peer Services, NYC Health + Hospitals
Gita oversees numerous health care delivery system activities and concerns impacting individuals who use mental health, substance use, and co-occurring treatment services. She spearheaded the development of, and provides oversight to, the NYC H+H Peer Academy. Prior to joining NYC H+H, Gita provided services ranging from board membership to directing training at peer-run agencies in Arizona. She presents locally and nationally on programming and supervision.
Amy B. Spagnolo, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Rutgers University. Amy’s experience includes over 20 years of curriculum design, staff training and consultation for the behavioral health sector. She also brings a decade-long commitment to training and educating the peer support provider workforce. Currently, in her role as the Program Director for the Academy of Peer Services for the New York Peer Specialist Certification she oversees the development and quality improvement process for over 90 online courses for the certification of peer specialists in New York. It is the only platform of its kind in the world. Amy has provided remote and in person supervision for nearly 10 years and trains organizations on the use of supervision strategies.
Jonathan P. Edwards, PhD, LCSW, ACSW, NYCPS and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work. Dr. Edwards’s research focuses on job satisfaction, supervision, peer support worker
implementation, and organizational change.
VIDEO Joanne Forbes – Presentation Materials
A cost-effectiveness calculator for long-term peer recovery support services for substance use and bystander naloxone distribution VIDEO
To help address the current gap in economic evaluation of peer recovery support services (PRSS) and to make cost-effectiveness evaluation more accessible for recovery community centers, this project involved conducting the first cost-effectiveness analysis of long-term PRSS, and converting that analysis and an existing analysis of bystander naloxone
distribution into a free, web-based calculator for the cost-effectiveness of both of these programs within an RCC context. This presentation will cover the basics of cost-effectiveness analysis, how to interpret results, and how to use the cost-effectiveness calculator. This research was supported by the Recovery Research Institute’s pilot grant program (NIDA R24DA051988).
Sierra Castedo de Martell, Ph.D., Margaret (“Marnie”) Brannon Moore, and H. Shelton Brown, III, Ph.D. are researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health focusing on the economic evaluation of a variety of peer-driven substance use interventions, and making cost-effectiveness information more accessible.
VIDEO Sierra Castedo de Martell – Presentation Materials
Nothing About Us Without Us: How Unions Can Empower and Support The Peer Workforce VIDEO
During this presentation, we propose creation of peer workforce unions, networks, and collaborations on local to national levels addressing wage disparities, benefits, resolve workplace conflicts and certification issues. We will also discuss solutions and seek input from participants on what they would like to see in the future. Our focus is on supporting peer supporters within and outside of their employment building stronger communities.
Mitchell Sherman, a Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialist, the manager of Pure Support “The National Labor Organization Built by Peers”, Co-chair of Recovery Implementation Task Force (RITF), and a member of other organizations. They volunteer support and time in their local community as well as online.
Laurel Lemke MS, CPC, ALF retired from Western State Hospital where she volunteered as a union counselor. She joined the public employee’s retiree union and has had success in changing policy with her health provider. She holds contracts as a trainer/facilitator and began peer work on a COVID support line.
VIDEO Mitchell Sherman – Presentation Materials
Introduction to Recovery Cafes: Peer-Focused Healing Communities VIDEO
Since 2004, Recovery Cafés have provided safe, healing communities for those recovering from SUDs, homelessness, mental health issues, and other life traumas. This session explains the Recovery Café model, examines the data and evidence-based practices behind how it works, and explores how Recovery Cafés are built on peer leadership and opportunities for personal growth. Participants will have their questions about the program answered, and have the opportunity to learn how to bring a peerled Recovery Café to their communities.
Ken Goldstein has been working in, and consulting to, nonprofits and community-based organizations since 1989. He is the former executive director of Recovery Café San José, a founding board member of Recovery Café Santa Cruz, and currently the Southwest Regional Catalyst for the Recovery Café Network.
VIDEO Ken Goldstein – Presentation Materials
Empowering Local Communities through Peer Support: A Pathway to Sustainable Development Goals VIDEO
Peer support can be used to achieve sustainable development goals. The peer support model can empower local communities to build social networks and enhance their selfesteem and confidence while also creating meaningful employment opportunities. Sustainable development goals directly influence the careers of Peer Support Specialists,
who play a critical role in assisting individuals to increase their well-being, access resources, and become more engaged in their communities. Peer support is a powerful tool for achieving sustainable development goals at a local level.
Akeel Bernard is an accomplished Clarity, Strategy, and Accountability Coach to Social Impact Entrepreneurs & The Community Development Manager at Impact Hub Houston. With a passion for empowering change-makers to achieve their goals, Akeel has dedicated his career to providing guidance and support to those who seek to create lasting social impact in the communities they serve.
VIDEO Akeel Bernard – Presentation Materials
CITY VOICES: A peer-run initiative VIDEO
City Voices was founded in 1995 as a print newspaper by and for New York City’s community of people living with mental health challenges. Today, City Voices (https://www.cityvoicesonline.org/about/) continues as online magazine and includes several community-building components which aim to “make mental illness fun”: the Friendship Squad, which pairs peers in caring friendships; “Peers in Person” in-person social gatherings; a spiritual topics Zoom discussion group; and the Friendly Visitors project (in which residents in long-term care settings are visited and engaged in conversation and games). This presentation will review City Voices’ history and current initiatives and plans for the future.
Dan Frey has been director of City Voices and involved with the peer support community for over 20 years. He is a person living with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. He creates social media content and plans events to build a vibrant peer community and has presented at many conferences.
VIDEO Dan Frey – Presentation Materials
The Importance of both Individual Peer Support and Family Peer Support within Services VIDEO
Individual peer support roles are increasingly being utilized in services, but family peer support roles are often undervalued or
forgotten altogether. Acknowledging family peer support roles are a valued component for any services will only enhance the
support an individual receives. This is not about any roles sharing information …no, no, NO! A peer who supports families and a
peer who supports individuals will share examples of working together to implement both in different settings and the benefits
experienced by all.
Robyn Priest designs and implements peer support in a variety of settings and is well-known as a trainer of peer supporters and
peer support supervisors.
Charlotte Sytnyk is a family member and family peer supporter. She supports the implementation of family peer support and trains family peer supporters.
VIDEO Robyn Priest – Presentation Materials
How to conduct evaluation research with peer-led interventions VIDEO
This presentation and technical assistance session provides an overview of how to conduct evaluation research with peer-led interventions. Different types of evaluation are considered, including quantitative approaches to establish the effectiveness of peer-led interventions. Qualitative approaches to evaluating and improving peerled interventions are also reviewed. Strategies to maximize the use of evaluation findings for continuous quality improvement of implementation are discussed. The
presentation concludes with a set of questions to guide the development of an evaluation plan. Participants will then have the opportunity to consider how they might evaluate their own peer-led interventions and obtain feedback on their ideas.
Louis Brown, Ph.D. is trained as a community psychologist and works as an Associate Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He studies community-based interventions that promote mental and behavioral health. He has active lines of research with self-help and peer support, community coalitions for healthy youth development, and community health workers addressing Hispanic health disparities.
VIDEO Louis Brown – Presentation Materials
Transference in the Workplace VIDEO
What is transference? How does it affect relationships? Transference is a phenomenon that is rooted from past experiences, and this concept is emphasized in the workplace among peer supporters. In an industry where peers use their lived-experience to support others in recovery and where people are working to heal from their suffering, many forms of transference exist. As people in recovery develop relationships with one another, it is imperative to recognize the feelings, emotions, and behaviors involved in those relationships. Learn the significance of transference in the workplace and how we can take steps to mitigate the roots of it.
Jessica Miller is the Program Coordinator of the SHARE! Recovery Retreat in North Hollywood and spearheaded its start in 2022. As a Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist in the state of California, she is training others to acquire their certification in California as well.
VIDEO Jessica Miller – Presentation Materials
Peer Networking in Rural Communities VIDEO
Hear from a panel of peers who work in rural California areas:
Debra Rogers, Tapestry, Mendocino County
Simantha Karp, Mendocino County
Shannon McConnell, Shasta County
Tajia Rodriguez, Mono County
California Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification VIDEO
Medi-Cal Peer Certification: The California Mental Health Services Authority, CalMHSA, will provide information on requirements for certification. The session will provide you
with the latest updates on program developments and certification requirements to ensure that you receive the most comprehensive and up-to-date information. CalMHSA
will present on navigation of the CalMHSA certification website, including how to apply for certification. The training session will be an excellent opportunity to network with
others in the field and gain valuable insights to advance your professional development. Join us for an opportunity to get questions answered directly from CalMHSA.
Lucero Robles is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20+ years of experience in behavioral health service, advocacy, and community engagement. As Director of Quality
Assurance and Compliance, she leads workforce solutions and implements programs that support behavioral health workforce and health equity. As a Latina immigrant,
she is dedicated to narrowing health disparities. Lucero Robles led COVID-19 efforts as the Interim Behavioral Health Director in Monterey County and has a track record of
improving access to and providing quality care.
VIDEO Lucero Robles – Presentation Materials
Pronouns for Peers VIDEO
Pronouns can be a confusing topic, especially for people who are used to referring to people who they think look male as “he” and people who they think look female as
“she”. Pronouns can even be a bit intimidating for people who don’t know what pronoun to use, especially with people who are gender diverse. Relax, you don’t have to
walk on eggshells, it’s simply about trying to be as respectful as possible to people.
Laurence Harmon, B.A., M.A. (Ze/Hir She/Her) is a Peer Specialist at SHARE! Downtown L.A. Ze has decades of lived experience in recovery from complex serial trauma,
severe mental illness and substance abuse.
VIDEO Laurence Harmon – Presentation Materials
Did They Say That? Yes They Did!- Dealing with Microaggressions in Supervision VIDEO
Supervision can be a gnarly process. In addition to inherent power differentials, intersecting cultural and socioeconomic factors impact relationships. Despite the
best of intentions, we may make hurtful and marginalizing comments. Unrecognized or unacknowledged microaggressions often create barriers in supervision
and consequently affect how we do our jobs. This workshop will offer a lively demonstration of various communication styles and provide opportunities for
participants to model authenticity and respect in supervisory relationships.
Jonathan P. Edwards, PhD, LCSW, ACSW, NYCPS is a public health advisor, workforce development consultant and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School
of Social Work.
Jessica Wolf, PhD, is Principal of Decision Solutions Consulting and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry. She has actively promoted
peer workforce development for many years.
VIDEO Jonathan Edwards / Jessica Wolf – Presentation Materials – Did They Say That
Peer Bridger: What do we do? VIDEO
Trained Peer Bridgers engage in a peer-matching process with hospital residents who have been identified by facility inpatient or discharge staff.
Increasingly, Life Connections Peer Recovery Services in Iowa has been matching with individuals who have self-referred themselves, having learned
of the program through our facility postings or presentations or by dropping in on one of our hospital-based peer support meetings. The project has
prioritized serving those individuals who have been hospitalized for long periods of time or who have had high rates of return and needs not being met
in communities.
Todd Noack is the Executive Director of Life Connections Peer Recovery Services in Iowa, and has twice served as the Regional Coordinator of the Office of
Consumer Affairs
Katelyn Hamilton is a Peer Bridger and trainer for the Iowa Peer Workforce Collaborative.
VIDEO Todd Noack – Presentation Materials
Wellness in the Woods, a peer program VIDEO
Wellness in the Woods is a peer run organization in Minnesota who has 50 peers who work virtually. We have a 95% retention rate for all peer staff with 3-5 applications
each week. Our success revolves around the Wellness Recovery Action Plan and high ethics
Jode Freyholtz-London is the founder and Executive Director of Wellness in the Woods, Minnesota’s largest mental health consumer organization. Jode is an Advanced Level Facilitator for the Wellness Recovery Action Plan, Mental Health First Aid trainer, Emotional CPR trainer, Suicide prevention trainer and proficient public speaker across Minnesota. She was chosen as the Rural Health Hero of 2017 by the Rural Health Conference Committee.
VIDEO Jode Freyholtz – Presentation Materials
Transformational Advocacy – Collaborative Genius VIDEO
Riverside University Health System-Behavioral Health won the CSAC Challenge Award in 2022 for the TakemyHand Live Peer Chat. The act of imbedding peer support and people with lived experience in a technology project, from the inception, led to “genius” and an incredible outcome. Peer Support staff on this project inspired the technology team to create text-based support for the community, and in turn, inspired the CalHope Live Chat services offered throughout the State of California. Transformation occurs, when lived experience is valued and sought after, to meet community needs in a time of crisis.
Shannon McCleerey-Hooper, Deputy Director, Peer Support Services, Riverside University Health System-Behavioral Health; Shannon received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Fullerton, considered a subject matter expert in peer support services within public health settings. Shannon has provided workshops across California in efforts to legitimize the peer support practice.
VIDEO Shannon McCleery-Hooper – Presentation Materials
What is a Peer Respite? VIDEO
Hear from a roundtable of five leaders of peer respites, a voluntary, short-term, overnight program that provides community-based, non-clinical crisis support to help people find new understanding and ways to move forward. Peer respites operate 24 hours per day in a homelike environment.
Bel Ngyuen, SHARE! Recovery Retreat, Los Angeles County
Adrian Bernard, 2nd Story, Santa Cruz County
Todd Noack, Rhonda’s House, Life Connections Recovery, Iowa
Scott Nyland, Hacienda of Hope, Los Angeles County
Jessica Oyerzides, Hacienda of Hope, Los Angeles County
Maria Ta, Sally’s Place, Alameda County
Employment After Certification: Research Findings on Burnout, Financial Wellbeing, and Practitioner Shortages VIDEO
The Certified Peer Specialist Career Outcomes Study involved nearly 600 CPS in four states from 2020-2022. In baseline data analyses, we compared
the experiences of individuals who work in peer support to those who work in another industry to understand the challenges and advantages of postcertification peer support work. This conference presentation highlights important findings related to workplace burnout, the relationship between
wages and financial wellbeing, and how CPS are filling gaps in the service system in rural and other provider shortage areas. Overall, the findings point
to areas peer support jobs can improve, but also strengths that CPSs are bringing to the behavioral health workforce.
Laysha Ostrow, PhD is the CEO of Live & Learn, Inc. and Principal Investigator on the Certified Peer Specialist Career Outcomes Study. Her research focuses
on employment and entrepreneurship, participatory research approaches, and peer support.
Morgan Pelot, BS is the Research Program Manager at Live & Learn, Inc. and the Project Manager for the Certified Peer Specialist Career Outcomes
Study. She previously worked as a peer counselor at the 2nd Story Peer Respite, and is a pre-doctoral student in Portland State University’s Community
Psychology program.
VIDEO Laysha Ostrow – Presentation Materials
Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+
A roundtable of peers discuss how to create welcoming, inclusive programs sensitive to the needs of LGBTQ+ folks. VIDEO
Laurence Harmon, Peer Support Specialist, SHARE!
Marcellus Omar Joya, Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
Christopher Hayden, Wellness Outreach Worker, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
Danielle McFadden, Peer Specialist, Kings County Behavioral Health
Mita Beach, Trans Peer Navigator, Borrego Health
Learning from the story: a journey from crisis to recovery VIDEO
In this workshop we will train ourselves to notice the cues and patterns that suggest the way someone’s recovery journey might go—using a real-life story of recovery from our
Lived Expertise Research project. We will learn using naturalistic decision-making methods, the same leading-edge methods firefighters, neonatal ICU nurses and other frontline
practitioners have used to develop their skills in messy, unpredictable real-life domains. Run by psychcrisis.org, a new org finding new ways to change how we respond to
someone’s mental health crisis.
Jessica Watson Miller founded psychcrisis.org after losing her brother to suicide following unhelpful and traumatizing psychiatric care. An Emergent Ventures grantee, she wrote the world’s first online guide to helping someone through a manic episode and was the first to apply naturalistic decision-making research to personal mental health.
VIDEO Jessica Watson Miller – Presentation Materials
R.E.A.C.H. (Recovery, Education, Action, Community, Health): Your Pathway to Meaningful Activity VIDEO
REACH is a collaborative project between the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery and Temple University. REACH is a peer-led and peer-implemented group intervention
designed to bring (back) meaningful activity into the lives of peers – individuals with mental health challenges. There will be four cohorts comprised of a control group and a
group that receives the intervention. The intervention is comprised of 12 online meetings and utilizes an original guidebook, curriculum and workbook. To date, the project is
mid-way through the 2nd cohort.
Rachelle Weiss, MS is the Online Learning Director for the Copeland Center. Trained to be a counselor, she found working as a peer and with peers the best use of her passions
and skills. She was the first peer program director in her area and has been involved in multiple educational programs and curriculum design including the REACH intervention.
VIDEO Rachelle Weiss – Presentation Materials
Recovery for Us by Us: From a Failed Status Quo to a Purposeful Movement VIDEO
The Phoenix is a sober active community and a national non-profit organization. Over the past 16 years, The Phoenix has grown to host and serve over 200,000 individuals
in person and virtually. All this work is peer-led by volunteers who have been impacted by addiction and recovery. We will share our unique model of empowering
volunteers with expertise, resources, and technology to imagine a world where recovery is the norm. This session will shift between data and anecdote to illustrate the
scale of the addiction crisis, the necessity & scalability of peer based solutions, and envision solution based action steps.
Andy Short, the California Regional Manager of The Phoenix, is a gay man in recovery from addiction. Andy understands how personal narrative and mission can combine
to create change in relationships and community.
VIDEO Andy Short – Presentation Materials
Community of Care: Supervision in Peer-run and Peer-led Organizations VIDEO
In this workshop participants will learn and discuss how to create a “Culture of Care” by implementing peer-informed supervision and leadership
practices. Katrina Killian, current Executive Director of the oldest Peer-run organization in Alameda County, uses her decades of experience in Peer
leadership to share best practices for peer-informed hiring, policy & procedure, and employee reviews. Facilitators will also explore how to cultivate a
workplace culture that values diverse lived-experiences, and which actively works to dismantle white supremacist practices.
Katrina Killian, Executive Director of Peer Wellness Collective is an exemplary model of Peer success whose 20+ years in peer services spans Peer
training & employment to housing & community advocacy. She also carried expertise in partnering with public and private entities to develop programs
addressing intersectional challenges within the Peer community.
Janavi Dhyani, Director of Operations, found her way to Peer Wellness Collective after finding that non-Peer spaces held wide gaps of lived-experience
between providers and participants, degrading the quality and impact of services. Janavi utilizes her lived-experience and professional experience as
DEIA educator and grassroots activist to inform her work.
VIDEO Janavi Dhyani – Presentation Materials
Supporting growth and change with the SHARE! PeerKit VIDEO
Learn how the 12 Tools of the SHARE! PeerKit foster growth and change, build community and de-escalate conflict without authority.
Jessica Miller is the Program Coordinator of the SHARE! Recovery Retreat in North Hollywood and spearheaded its start in 2022.
As a Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist in the state of California, she is training others to acquire their certification in California as well.
Peace Work & Self-Responsibility VIDEO
Peace Work is a highly engaging, power-sharing… duplicable format, based on the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP). It involves structured group-work that uses interactive activities to affirm, invite communication, collaboration, etc. Participants routinely enjoy remarkable connection and a sense of bonded
trust; very productive for gaining insight into ourselves and others, as well as for learning new skills.
Peace Work, a group model adapted from the Alternatives to Violence Project, is
Noelle Pollett’s means of transformation, purpose & JOY! …for decades! …as peer supporter, staff & peer educator: “Earthwaker!”
VIDEO Noelle Pollet – Presentation Materials
Entrepreneurship in The Peer Professional Workforce, Infused with Alternative Spiritual/ Healing Modalities VIDEO
Discover and receive the groundbreaking business design, by Heather Boll. Heather blazed the entrepreneurial path by opening the first of its kind, a Private Peer Support
Practice in 2017. Heather will take you on an entrepreneurial journey showcasing what works, shed light on barriers, and ignite a deep passion for those who desire a Peer
Support Practice of their own. Heather implements traditional Peer Support values paired with modern day spirituality healing modalities, and serves from the lens of trauma,
neurodiversity informed. Heather will guide you through her three innovative businesses, Heather Boll CPSS Keynote Speaking and Coaching, LLC, The Hive Boutique Mental
Health, LLC, and Apiary Aerial Studio.
Heather Boll, Author, Keynote Speaker, Transformational Coach, Certified Peer Specialist, Sound Healer, and Spiritual Teacher. Heather has decades of training and experience
in the fields of mental health, holistic wellness, and mind, body, soul healing modalities. Including Peer Support, Soul Awakenings Meditation/Mindfulness, and Sound
Healing. She brings a powerful yet compassionate presence, guidance, and healing.
VIDEO Heather Boll – Presentation Materials
From Burnout to Bliss: Managing Burnout in the Workplace VIDEO
This webinar will focus on the topic of Peer Support Burnout and will provide insights and strategies to prevent and manage burnout among peer support workers. The webinar
will cover the signs and symptoms of burnout, the impact of burnout on peer support workers, and the importance of self-care. It will also discuss ways to promote resiliency,
build supportive networks, and utilize resources to prevent and manage burnout. The session will be interactive and will include case studies and practical tools for participants
to use in their work as peer support workers.
Dr. Kathy Cash is a US Army Veteran and a Certified Peer Support Specialist in the community. She holds a Doctor of Divinity degree and recently retired from the Greater Los
Angeles VA Healthcare System where she was an integral part of the Peer Leadership Team.
Supporting the Peer Voice: Developing Psychiatric Advance Directives in California VIDEO
The MHSA Multi-County PADs Innovation Project is an innovations project supported by the seven participating counties, Fresno, Mariposa, Tri-City, Orange, Contra Costa,
Shasta, and Monterey, seeking to create a digital platform for peers to create their Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) to be accessible to law enforcement and crisis
workers in a time of mental health or justice involved crisis. Painted Brain and CAMHPRO will support the PADs Project with the peer voice through community outreach,
feedback sessions, education, and advocacy that is collaborative in design through thoughtful peer engagement, participation and PADs implementation.
Corinita Reyes is a Peer Advocate with CAMHPRO as their Project Manager for the California MHSA Multi-County PADs Innovation Project.
Princess Kosinski is a peer, advocate, harm reductionist, and the Peer Voice Project Manager for the California MHSA Multi-County PADs Innovation Project for Painted Brain
in collaboration with CAMHPRO.
VIDEO Corinita Reyes – Presentation Materials
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