Thursday, April 29 @ 9am - 3:30pm PT & Friday, April 30 @ 9am - 1:30pm PT

The Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center is pleased to partner with Youth MOVE National for a Youth Peer Summit on April 29 and 30. This 1.5-day virtual event designed just for the youth peer provider workforce will feature professional development opportunities and organized networking sessions. Workshops will address topics including ethics and boundaries, trauma-informed youth peer support, and self-care. This interactive summit will maximize networking time through games, peer-to-peer connections, and other activities to develop a supportive web of youth peer providers and to encourage the momentum of the youth peer movement. The Summit will enhance tangible skills of attendees in order to better support youth and young adults experiencing mental health challenges. 

Session Descriptions

Trauma Informed Youth Peer Support: An Essential Tool for Supporting Youth

This workshop will walk participants through the foundations of trauma-informed care, including its principles and philosophy, why trauma-informed care is important, and strategies for incorporating trauma-informed practices throughout youth peer support services. It is critical for peer providers to understand trauma and its impact on many of the youth and young adults they will be working with. This workshop will provide concrete examples of what trauma-informed practice looks like in action and how to apply this philosophy within peer relationships. 

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Exploring Ethics and Boundaries in Youth Peer Services: Maintaining Professional and Caring Relationships with Youth Adults Receiving Peer Support

Ethics and boundaries are critical to any profession, and are especially important in helping professions. There are specific ethical dilemmas related to supporting youth and young adults with mental health and/or substance use challenges. This workshop will describe ethics and boundaries in the context of youth peer support, identify the ethical responsibilities of a peer provider, and discuss strategies to make skilled judgments related to privacy and confidentiality, boundaries of dual relationships, informed consent, mandated reporting, and more. Attendees will come away with a clear understanding of the ethics, guidelines, and boundaries that are essential in youth peer support work. 

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Filling Your Cup: Self Care with and for Youth Peers

This workshop will focus on the importance of actionable strategies for managing self-care while serving as a youth peer provider. Centered in a holistic definition of self-care that meets each of SAMHSA’s eight dimensions of wellness, the workshop will help each peer understand the value and impact of self-care in their peer role. This topic is of importance to the peer workforce because a strong practice of self-care can counteract experiences of burnout and overwhelm in peer positions. Actionable strategies will be shared, including self-reflection tools and self-care resources.