Facilitated by Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon.
Peer-delivered service workers with lived experience of mental health challenges, and those in substance use recovery, have a lot in common. However, many members of the peer workforce report a lack of understanding about those similarities in history and practice across mental health and addiction specialties. In this webinar, we will review the history and practice of mental health and addiction peer workers respectively, focusing on the commonalities that bring us together. United, we are stronger!
Adrienne Scavera is the Training and Outreach Department Director for Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO), one of Oregon's oldest and largest peer-run organizations. In her role as a department director, Adrienne works to support the peer workforce from initial entry and training to systems-level advocacy. Currently, Adrienne serves on several committees and boards, including the Oregon Health Authority’s Training Evaluation and Metrics Program Scoring Committee and the state Traditional Health Worker Commission.
In her work, Adrienne prioritizes the experience of individuals as the experts on their own lives. Over the years, she has worked in research, direct service, program development, management, training, and with non-profits, educational institutions, and peer-run organizations. She enjoys writing about herself in third person, well-organized spaces, and friendly animals.
Janie Gullickson is a person in long-term recovery and for her that means she has not used alcohol or other drugs in over 12 years. Janie is in recovery from both addiction and mental health challenges as well as homelessness, incarceration, and criminal justice involvement. She navigated all types of systems and institutions that can accompany such life experiences, from frequent hospitalizations to prison. Janie was released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in September of 2006.
Janie first began her work as a Peer Support Specialist/Recovery Mentor for Yamhill County HHS in McMinnville, Oregon in 2011. Janie joined the peer-run organization Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) as a project assistant in 2014. In May of 2017 Janie became MHAAO’s Executive Director. She also earned her Master of Public Administration: Health Administration (MPA: HA) degree from Portland State University in June of 2017. Janie is passionate about social justice issues with a focus on mental health and addiction recovery, peer programs and services and advocacy in these realms.
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