Please join the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN) and the Southeast Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (Southeast MHTTC) as we kick off a six-month exploration of racism's impacts in the recovery community on September 15th, 2020 at 1:00 PM. Certified Peer Specialists have a unique and comprehensive perspective of the behavioral health community, not only providing but receiving support in diverse settings that frequently reflect the values, beliefs, and practices of the communities where we live and work. In this listening session, we will gather data from the lived experience of Certified Peer Specialists to document where we are in our efforts to eliminate racism as a barrier to recovery, in preparation for our further discussions on what steps we need to take to improve recovery and wellness outcomes in our behavioral healthcare system.
The Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network believes in the ability of everyone living with mental health concerns to enjoy lives of purpose, meaning, productivity, and wellness. Since it was founded in 1991, this grassroots nonprofit organization has been led and run by mental health peers—people in mental health recovery. At its core, the basis of peer support—one person using their lived experience to support another—is not new; in fact, it is the basis of human growth and development. Mental health peers with special training are now able to use their lived recovery experience in clinical settings to provide something beyond a diagnosis or medication. We provide the evidence that we can and do recover from our mental health challenges. We provide skills, tools, and above all, hope.
Roslind D. Hayes, BS, CPS-AD, CARES, WHWC is the Statewide Coordinator of the GMHCN's Peer Support, Wellness, and Respite Centers. She is a trainer/facilitator for the Certified Peer Specialist Project, Peer Zone, and Intentional Peer Support.
Chris Johnson, MFA, CPS, CPS-AD is GMHCN's Director of Communications. He is responsible for sharing information about recovery and wellness opportunities to behavioral health peers and providers across Georgia.
