Please feel free to send us information about events which you may want to share. Address: NCCansoInfo@gmail.com
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IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEER SPECIALISTS
TRAUMA-INFORMED PEER SUPPORT
September 9, 16, and 23, 2014, 1:00 – 2:15 pm ET
SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC) will host a series of three 75-minute webinars in September 2014 that will introduce key concepts in NCTIC’s day-long Trauma-Informed Peer Support (TIPS) training.
The primary audience is people who provide peer support – including people working as peer specialists or in similar roles, people involved in independent peer support groups, and people working in or receiving services from peer-run programs. The series would also be of interest to administrators, clinicians, and supervisors in organizations that employ peer specialists and people in similar roles, or those interested in incorporating trauma-informed peer support into their programs. Each session will include 60 minutes of presentation and 15 minutes for discussion and questions.
We encourage participation in all three events – they will be archived for anyone who is not able to attend a session or misses the series.
Webinars:
September 9, 2014: Trauma and its Impact/ Cultural Considerations
Presenters will define trauma and discuss its impact on individuals and communities, as well as the prevalence of trauma histories among people who use services. This session will also address how the experience of trauma and healing is strongly affected by cultural considerations such as race and ethnicity, gender, age, language and family history.
Presenters: Cathy Cave and Darby Penney
September 16, 2014: Peer support basics /Trauma-informed Practices
This session will introduce the basic concepts, values and principles of genuine peer support as developed and practiced by the mental health consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement over the past 40+ years. The basics of trauma-informed practices, which can be applied in any setting, will also be discussed.
Presenters: Darby Penney and Leah Harris
September 23, 2014: Applying Trauma-Informed Practices to Peer Support
This session will conclude the series with a discussion of applying trauma-informed practices to peer support through the development of mutual, reciprocal relationships. The discussion will be illustrated with examples of issues that may arise in trauma-informed peer support, such as understanding self-injury as a coping strategy, and the effective use of personal narrative in healing from trauma.
Presenters: Darby Penney and Michael Skinner
Need details about signing on? Go to http://peersnownc.wordpress.com/education-and-development/
Organizational Considerations for Successful Implementation of Peer Support Services
July 11 Webinar from MHA
Friday, July 11, 3:00 pm EDT:
In May, 2013, CMS/SAMHSA released a joint informational bulletin that clarified the definition of “Peer” to include adults, families, and youth. As a result of this clarification many organizations are working closely with their states to expand current peer services to include the full spectrum of service possibilities. Currently, 32 states have included Peer Support in their Medicaid State Plan, many through the Rehab Option. Many of these states currently offer only Adult Peer Support services and are in the process of expanding services to be inclusive of family and youth models. Many states that do not currently offer Peer Support as a Medicaid reimbursable service are considering this option but until this becomes a reality, provider organizations must rely upon alternate types of funding.
Please join us as we explore the evolution of this emerging workforce. We will look at the growth of Peer Support since its inception and track through to the present day status of adult, family, and youth Peer Support. Participants will gain a broad understanding of the organizational considerations that are crucial to the successful implementation of these three, unique models of Peer Support.
Presenters: Lynda Gargan, Ph.D., Senior Managing Director, National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health; Patrick Hendry, Senior Director of Consumer Advocacy, Mental Health America; Lacey Kendrick Burk, Executive Director, Youth Move National.
Instructions for joining the July 11 webinar:
1. Go to – http://nasmhpd.adobeconnect.com/ocpps/
(Please either right click on the link or copy and paste the link into a new tab.)
When the Adobe Connect Log-in screen appears, select “Enter as a Guest,” enter the name and state of the participant in the “Name” field (Ex. Jane Doe-AK) and click on “Enter Room.”
2. Once prompted to join the Audio portion of the meeting, please select:
“Dialing-in to the Audio Conference Via Phone.” Then dial 1-888-727-2247 and enter the conference ID number 5433540#.
Dialing in allows for interaction and dialogue. Please ensure that your computer speakers are turned down so that there is no audio feedback.
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/events/july-11-webinar-peer-support-services
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Funds Are Awarded for ANNUAL ALTERNATIVES CONFERENCE!
We are pleased to announce that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has approved funding for Alternatives 2014! We are continuing to move ahead with planning the conference, and we urge everyone to submit workshop and institute proposals (byJuly 7), to register, and to book your rooms!
Below is an announcement about the conference. We hope that those of you who have newsletters or e-lists will share this information widely! Thank you!
28th Annual Alternatives Conference to Be Held in Orlando!
Register Now! Early Bird Registration Until August 8!
Submit Proposals to Present Workshops and/or Institutes!
Proposal Deadline Extended to July 7!
Alternatives 2014, the 28th annual national conference organized by and for individuals with psychiatric histories, will be held at the beautiful Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, Florida, October 22-26, 2014. The deadline for Early Bird registration ($375) is August 8; to register, click here!The extended deadline to submit a presentation proposal is July 7; to submit a proposal click here! To book a room at the hotel, click here!The theme of the conference, organized by the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse and funded in part by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is Creating the Future: Change, Challenge, Opportunity. Each Alternatives conference offers in-depth technical assistance on peer-delivered services and self-help/recovery methods. Beyond the exchange of knowledge and networking, Alternatives offers a rich social, supportive, and healing environment. When asked “one thing I learned that I will incorporate into my life and/or my work,” one earlier Alternatives attendee responded, “We can influence the direction of the future.” For more information, visit the Alternatives 2014 website at http://alternatives2014.mhasp.org. Note: We do not yet know if scholarships will be offered; we will e-blast that information when it becomes available, and post it on the Alternatives Conference Announcements Facebook page, available at this link. However, even if scholarships are offered, they are usually limited in number. For information about alternative sources of funding, click here. To read more about the conference, click here.
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SAVE THE DATE! 6TH ANNUAL “ONE COMMUNITY IN RECOVERY” CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 12-14, 2014 The Village Inn in Clemmons, NC (next to Winston-Salem)
Call for proposals from interested presenters. Please go to: http://northwestahec.org/43226 or call Lisa Maurer at 336-713-7715.
See article below for a review of last year’s exciting conference! We need to come together and build on our collective momentum to help people reclaim life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!
Was it the keynote speakers we had? We opened the conference with Paulo Del Vecchio, the first person with lived experience with mental illness who has been promoted to the top of a major federal agency (Del Vecchio is the director of the Center for Mental Health Services, which is part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Paulo has watched the labored processes of advocates in North Carolina for years and challenged our state while also celebrating recent movement toward a recovery focus.
Free Webinar
Peer Specialists Promoting Community Reintegration of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities Returning Home from Jail or Prison
August 8, 2013 / 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Greetings,
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities, in cooperation with the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse, invites your participation in a webinar on August 8, 2013.
It is the fifth event in our popular webinar series on the varied roles peer specialists can play in promoting greater participation in the everyday community life of the individuals they serve. August’s presentation will focus on the role peer specialists can play in assisting individuals with mental health conditions who are involved with the criminal justice system.
This series is jointly funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and is designed to provide a national platform for the discussion of roles that peer specialists and peer-run programs can play in offering the supports and services that individuals may need to participate more fully in the day-to-day lives of their communities.
The webinar will begin with an introduction by Richard Baron, Director of Knowledge Translation for the Temple University Collaborative. The featured speakers include:
- LaVerne Miller/Policy Research Associates
- Laurie Schultz/Peerstar, LLC
- James Kimmel/Peerstar, LLC
We will then turn to a broader discussion among the participants on the call. August’s webinar invites participation of webinar attendees, asking each of you to share your experiences, comments, or questions concerning individuals with mental health conditions who also have had criminal justice involvement. Contact Richard Baron to participate: rcbaron@temple.edu
To register for the seminar, go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4050051432502329600
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about attending the webinar. I hope you can join us!
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FREE WEBINAR JULY 23!
Building Community Resiliency and Healing:
Preparing for, Responding to, and Recovering from
Community Trauma and Disasters
When: Presenters: Marcie Roth, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Director of Disability Integration and Coordination, leads the Agency’s commitment to meet the access and functional needs of children and adults with disabilities in emergency and disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Daniel Fisher, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of the National Empowerment Center, helped peers in Louisiana respond to the emotional crises following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and, based on his post-Katrina experiences, helped develop Emotional CPR (eCPR). Willie Barney, Founder, President, and Facilitator of the Empowerment Network, is leading efforts in Omaha, NE to address gun violence as a public health problem through immediate response activities, ongoing recovery, survivor empowerment, and their recent adoption of eCPR. Teleconference Overview: Building community resilience and healing requires us to look through a culturally attuned lens at the needs of all community members, including those with mental health problems and other disabilities whose needs too often are overlooked in planning for, responding to, and recovering from disasters or traumatic events. While people with lived experience of mental health, addictions, and trauma can be vulnerable to experiencing a downward spiral following a disaster or other traumatic event, they also can use their lived experiences and personal recovery as a source of understanding and strength that enables them to contribute meaningfully to community resilience and rebuilding efforts. By actively engaging people with the lived experience of mental health and/or addictions recovery in providing peer support following a disaster, a community not only provides much-needed relief to those who experienced the trauma, but also provides the peer helper opportunities for healing and recovery. Training peers to support each other can empower the entire community to be active agents in the planning, response, and recovery process. Communities and governments that work together to involve all community members in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery can lay a stronger foundation for hope and healing following traumatic events. During this webinar, you will hear four speakers describe how communities can work together before, during, and after disasters or other traumatic events to build resilience and encourage personal and community healing. You’ll hear the inspiring story of one survivor whose home was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy and how she, despite her own personal challenges, worked tirelessly assisting fellow displaced community members in getting back on their feet. You’ll learn about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiatives that help those with mental health problems and other disabilities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, including how FEMA continues to support peers in New Jersey in helping others recover. You’ll learn about the valuable leadership role peers played in post–Hurricane Katrina community healing efforts and about the development of Emotional CPR (eCPR), a simple yet powerful community-building tool that teaches people how to support each other through emotional crisis. And you’ll hear how the community leaders of Omaha, NE, are addressing gun violence as a public health problem through immediate response activities, ongoing recovery, survivor empowerment, and their recent adoption of eCPR, which is being used to strengthen the community’s ability to respond to traumatic events. We invite you to join us as these inspiring and committed leaders share their promising practices and stories of engagement, empowerment, and healing. Learning Objectives:
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Coming in AUGUST! Important Peer Employment Training:
I’VE WALKED WHERE YOU WALK…
WHEN: August 6-10, 2013 (Tuesday-Saturday) WHERE: Holland House Drop-In Center 475 West Main Street, Forest City TIME: 8:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m. (1/2 hour lunch)
This is a 40 hour course utilizing a North Carolina MH/DD/SAS approved curriculum developed by the National Association of Peer Specialists. Completion of this course makes you eligible for North Carolina certification, but does not guarantee employment. You will learn about:
Recovery Principles – What is a Peer Specialist? – History of Mental Illness and Treatment – Substance Use and Addiction – Dual Diagnosis – Communication – Conflict Resolution – Cultural Competency – Career Development – Ethics and Boundaries
For application form and further information, please call (828) 980-2907
INSTRUCTOR: Rosemary Weaver, CPSS
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ASHEVILLE AREA SUPPORT MEETING FOR Certified Peer Specialists
MEETING DATE/TIME: 1st and 3rd Mondays ♦ 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
This support group meeting was established in 2009 by peer specialists who realized the need for mutual support and a place where they could share their concerns and frustrations about employment issues in a safe and confidential environment. Peers also share information about available jobs and training. If you are a Certified Peer Specialist and/or working as a Peer Specialist, this is the place for you. This group is completely independent and not affiliated with any provider or other organization.
LOCATION: Disability Partners
108 New Leicester Hwy.
Asheville, NC 28806
Office Phone: (828) 298-1977
Cell Phone: (828) 447-0812
DIRECTIONS: From I-240 take exit #3A onto Patton Avenue. Go approximately 2 miles (you will pass Wells Fargo and Rush Fitness Center) and turn right at Ingles onto New Leicester Hwy. We are ½ mile on the left in a one story brick building directly across from the Hot Spot gas station.
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GREENSBORO AREA SUPPORT MEETING for Peer Support Specialists
Hello all,
I’m pleased to announce the debut of our monthly NC-PSS Support Group! Please forward this information and/or distribute the attached flyer to anyone who might be interested. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, July 17, 3-5 pm at the Mental Health Association in Greensboro. Come and join us for refreshments, introductions, and our inaugural discussion.
WHEN
Third Wednesday of every month, 3-5 pm
(July 17, Aug 21, Sept 18, Oct 16, Nov 20, Dec 18)
WHERE
Mental Health Association in Greensboro
330 S. Greene St, Suite B12
Greensboro NC 27401
WHAT
Educational presentation and open forum on topics such as boundaries, compassion fatigue, and job hunting. Great opportunity for networking, asking questions, and sharing experiences.
FREE and open to anyone trained as a peer support specialist. Registration requested. For more information or to register, contact Mary Seymour (see info below).
Mary Seymour, LPCA, NCC, CPSS , Director of Recovery Initiatives
Mental Health Association in Greensboro
330 S. Greene Street, Suite B12 Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 273-4474 Fax
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Regular Meeting Between Advocates with Lived Experience and DHHS Leadership Scheduled!
The meeting with leadership in Raleigh is held on the Dix Campus, but many participate by telephone, as well. This month the meeting is set for July 31 at 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
If you wish to participate in developing the agenda and this event, please email Laurie Coker so she can add you to the list. (lcokernc@gmail.com).
Read below to learn more about these meetings.
January will mark the third year that there will be regular dialogues between consumer advocates and staff of Department of Health and Human Services/Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services (see article in NEWS). Advocates participate in person or by telephone conference call. Please contact us ( NCCansoInfo@gmail ) if you want to participate in these great opportunities to contribute to a better public mental health system and to develop your own leadership skills. Our state needs more leaders who understand living with and recovering from addiction and/or mental illness!
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DOES YOUR PROVIDER KNOW ABOUT THE RECOVERY TO PRACTICE PROGRAM? Do you? The RTP program was developed for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for sake of helping our states aim for recovery or person-defined growth through the services that consumers receive. This means a change in orientation, and it means that consumers, providers, and administrators need to learn more current service approaches. Learn about the program through its web site: http://dsgdev2.dsgonline.com/rtp/index.aspx
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President’s Administration Starting Open Monthly Conference Calls re: Disability Issues in December
The White House will be sponsoring monthly telephone calls to update interested people about disability issues and to introduce them to leaders in the Whitehouse that focus on disability issues. The first call WAS Friday, Dec. 3 at 11:00. Will report date of next call as possible.
Dial in: (800) 230-1092
Title: Disability Call (use instead of code)
http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1663465&CustomerID=321
<http://www.fedrcc.us/Enter.aspx?EventID=1663465&CustomerID=321>
NC CANSO 