Products and Resources Catalog

About this Resource:  The Southeast MHTTC Newsletter highlights upcoming events and recently released products as well as shares information on available resources from SAMHSA and the MHTTC network.  The September 2022 issue recognizes National Suicide Prevention Month, Recovery Month, and National Hispanic Heritage Month, highlights our upcoming events and recent products, and provides resources available through the MHTTC Network and SAMHSA to connect individuals to needed treatment and support. 

About this Resource:  This infographic defines crisis services and outlines the role of Certified Peer Specialists in crisis care. It reviews evidence-based crisis services involving peers and identifies ways peers can support themselves and others in a crisis. This product serves as a companion to our Perspectives in Mental Health Crisis four-part series examining the experiences of Certified Peer Specialists (CPS) as they navigate, utilize, and provide crisis services.

The South Southwest MHTTC hosted Lyn Legere, MS who presented during our Peer Support Advisory Committee for Region 6 on Recurrence of Use and Peer Certification Boards' Rights and Responsibilities. This presentation focused on helping to clarify roles when supporting the Peer Workforce regarding recurrence of use.

The South Southwest MHTTC hosted the State Spotlight Series: Native American Peer Recovery and the Value of Connection on July 28 from 1:30-2:30 CST. Lyndi Seabolt and Casey Ward-Freeman facilitated this session on how the recovery process is unique for Native Americans and the importance of culture in peer services. It explored the history of Native peer support and the progress of peer programs in Oklahoma. This session highlighted the importance of the culture, connection, and decolonization by examining The Indian Country Peer Recovery Specialist ECHO program (Peer ECHO). A sample Peer ECHO case presentation was discussed during this presentation.  

  ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This document describes best practices for supervisors of peer specialists and was developed in conjunction with the "Supervising Peer Specialists: How supervision can help peer specialists remain peer when working on clinical teams" webinar held on June 7, 2022. View the recorded webinar and other related resources here.     Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

Authors Kirill Staklo (he/him) and Nze Okoronta (they/them) provide an overview of the necessary information for the integration of Peer Specialists in hotline programming for equity and sustainability. Topics include: Intro to the Peer Role, Medical trauma and minority stress, Hotline work: How is it different?, Informed consent and harm reduction, Best practices in service establishment and training, and further resources.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE In July, the Northwest MHTTC observes Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to acknowledge the struggles faced by BIPOC individuals with mental health concerns due to racism within and beyond the mental healthcare system. We also share events happening across our network and resources on equity, peer support services in crisis care, and combating stigma.

Panel Presentation Recording Panel Presentation Summary This panel presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 1st. This panel was moderated by Cecilia McGough and the panelists were representatives from Students with Psychosis including Cecilia Joyce, Rei, Daniel Nepveux, Deanna, Katie Sanford, Maddie Jiles, and Vera Muñiz-Saurré Presentation Summary: There is no one-size-fits-all experience for a student living with psychosis. This session had a panel moderator and seven Students With Psychosis members from the student lived experience perspective. Students With Psychosis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers student leaders and advocates worldwide through community building and collaboration. The panel included a mix of storytelling and discussion followed by Q&A. The discussion and storytelling highlighted intersectionality, academic accommodations, and action points on how to transform community, workplace, and educational environments to support and empower students living with psychosis.   About the Panelists Moderator   Cecilia McGough (they/them/theirs/she/her/hers) Founder and Executive Director Students with Psychosis   Cecilia McGough is a New York City-based mental health activist, nonprofit executive director, consultant, and former radio astronomer. McGough is autistic who also happens to have schizophrenia but does not let her diagnoses define her. McGough is the founder and executive director of the global nonprofit Students With Psychosis. As a TEDx speaker, twice Special Books by Special Kids interviewee, Anthony Padilla interviewee, CBS This Morning national news feature, and PBS Documentary “Mysteries of Mental Illness” feature, McGough’s story has been viewed over 30 million times across multiple platforms. McGough has been featured in Glamour UK, The Boston Globe, Women’s Health Magazine, twice in Forbes, USA Today College, Healthline, Daily Mail, The Indian Express, MTV University, WGBH, Mental Health America, and more! McGough currently serves as a curator and social committee member for the Global Shapers Brooklyn Hub and a task force member through the World Economic Forum. McGough finds it important to connect with health advocates across a wide range of diagnoses and currently is a Lightbulb ambassador and severed as a 2020 conference advisor for Healthevoices. McGough collaborates with industry leads and mental health researchers and clinicians; for example, McGough was a 2020-2021 think tank participant organized by One Mind to focus on early screening for psychosis in youth. McGough is an UNLEASH talent who traveled to Denmark in August of 2017 to be an active voice to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make sure people with psychosis are represented. Also, McGough has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2022 Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society to take place in Florence, Italy. At the age of 17, McGough co-discovered PSR J1930-1852 leading to opportunities such as helping represent the United States in the International Space Olympics in Russia and being a Virginia Aerospace Science And Technology Scholar through the NASA Langley Research Center. McGough’s story as a radio astronomer through the Pulsar Search Collaboratory can be seen in the documentary Little Green Men.   Panelists     Cecilia Joyce (she/her/hers) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Cecilia Joyce joined @studentswithpsychosis because she was looking for a place where she could feel safe to express herself. Her search led me to @cecilia_mcgough’s TEDx Talk and this fantastic Students With Psychosis (SWP) community. Growing up, she felt lonely, isolated and embarrassed by her symptoms. She was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a teen and spent the majority of her high school career in a therapeutic treatment center. Even in that environment, surrounded by people with mental health diagnoses, she felt the stigma of being psychotic and having delusions. Becoming a part of SWP has cured the loneliness and isolation that she continued to experience. Before, she lacked a community, now she has built lasting friendships and has been a part of events that she will always cherish with pride. Since joining the organization she has become happier and has found herself more eager to stick to her treatment plan. She enjoys going to meetings and finds it easy to attend several a week, even as a busy college student, working on her bachelor’s degree. She feels truly blessed to have met and become a part of the SWP family. There are many ways to get involved with SWP. This is a welcoming space where you are able to participate or not, as much as you want. She encourages everyone to see what they have to offer because she believes SWP can change your life for the better. She hopes you can join her on this journey.     Daniel Nepveux (he/him/his) Advocate Students with Psychosis   Daniel Nepveux says that you may call him Daniel, Dan, Dano, Danny boy, or Judd. He currently reside in Texas, USA. Daniel was featured on the Special Books By Special Kids Youtube channel, and Instagram page, for an interview he did with its wonderful and kind creator, Mr. Chris. Daniel is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder/Depressive Type, CPTSD, BPD, and Multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries. He am an AVID reader of almost every genre, but his favorite is horror; and his favorite author is (of course) the great and hilarious Stephen King. He owns fifty two of King's books and is always on the lookout for anything new by him. Daniel loves singer songwriter music with lyrics that contain emotional depth and moving melodies. But his heart truly lies with reading and writing.   Positionality Statement: Daniel Nepveux is a 36 year old combat veteran currently working on being an advocate in the mental health community. Recently he has begun work on his second published book of poetry and is happy to be doing something he loves. He is the first and only member of his immediate family to have joined the military and he did so at the age of 17. Daniel is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder Depressive Type, CPTSD, anxiety, and deals with chronic lung health issues. Having not experienced the difficulties of dealing with mental health while in school, he wants to better understand the trials that the younger generation goes through when navigating the upper education system.     Deanna (she/her/hers) Live Chat Moderator & Outreach Coordinator Students With Psychosis   Deanna is a college student studying audio engineering and film production. Deanna is from the suburbs of Austin, Texas and still resides in the area. Deanna is living with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. She has a strong passion for art, film, and music, and is currently working on several projects. Deanna is a Live Chat Moderator and Outreach Coordinator at Students With Psychosis.   Positionality Statement: Deanna is from Austin, Texas. She makes it a point to help others when they are in need. Deanna is atheist, but doesn’t push her ideology on others and is respectful of others beliefs. Deanna has a libertarian political view; believing in full autonomy and limiting the states violation of one’s individual liberties.     Katie Sanford (she/her/hers) Advocate Students with Psychosis   When Katie was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 17, she thought her life was over. But when she went to college and began to prove all of my stereotype-based ideas wrong, she wanted to share that with everyone - that people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are capable of so much more than people think. And when she spoke publicly about it for the first time, she realized that my story had a bigger impact than she had thought when it came to changing other people's minds. Katie is always looking for new ways to expand my advocacy and meet others who live with similar disorders. Everyone's story is so different, and she love that Student's With Psychosis amplifies all these different voices, showing not just others, but also each other, that our stories are powerful and important no matter what they are and she wants to use the skills she has gained in her advocacy experience to support the efforts of Students With Psychosis and expand her network and capabilities as an advocate as well.   Positionality Statement: Katie Sanford is a 31-year-old legal assistant and mental health advocate residing in a small town in Illinois an hour outside of Chicago. Katie grew up in “wine country” in northern California, living in both rural and suburban areas after her parents divorced when she was four years old. She attended small, often under-funded public schools that provided opportunities like small-group advanced classes and agricultural and viticultural exposure. She grew up in non-religious, middle class households and identifies as an agnostic heterosexual woman with a liberal-leaning bias. She recognizes the privilege that comes with these things as well as with being a white, college-educated female in the United States. She earned her degree in psychology at Northwestern University, which provided opportunities others may not have had, like working on psychiatric research. Her professional experience includes assisting with schizophrenia research, retail management, food service, finance, and estate planning law. She has lived with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder from a very young age that went undiagnosed until she began treatment at 17 when she was also diagnosed with depressive-type schizoaffective disorder. She also lives with an eating disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Her experiences with schizoaffective disorder inspired her decision to pursue a degree in psychology.     Maddie Jiles (they/them/theirs) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Maddie has had schizophrenia since early childhood, and until the middle of their undergrad career it went undiagnosed, unnoticed, and untreated. It taught them a special way of living with themself and dealing with all that entailed. Maddie's family’s motto always has been, “Once you lose your sense of humor you die.” Maddie took that and ran with it through every mental health huddle and struggle in life. No matter how hard things got, they found some kind of way to laugh and find joy in even the smallest thing. They believe that’s their purpose in life, to spread that same joy. Maddie is the voice of the MadHaus Podcast and the founder of Powered by the Haus, a tabletop group on Twitch. Outside of that, they are an elementary educator and a street performer. And wherever they go, doing whatever they're doing, they make sure that they keep their family’s motto in mind. It’s important to live loudly as yourself, in every aspect that you are yourself. And they find no place where they embody that more than in @studentswithpsychosis.     Rei (he/him/his/xe/xem/xir) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Rei is a non-binary, autistic, Jewish social work student who is also living with psychosis among other disabilities. He is very active on campus as the President of Columbus State's Pride Club as well as an officer for several other groups, including his college's branch of Phi Theta Kappa. He has been nominated for quite a few awards and scholarships during his time at CSCC. Rei currently works 2 part-time jobs, including a work study job as a Student Resource Educator and another job as an artist at Transit Arts. His art will soon be featured in local community gardens. In his free time, he likes to cross-stitch, spend time with his cats, read, and play video games. He hopes that one day he can help better the lives of people living with disabilities, including but not limited to psychosis, on both a micro and macro level. He is extremely passionate about the ableism and abuse that exists within the medical system and strives to do all he can to fix this system.     Vera Muñiz-Saurré (they/them/theirs) Executive Board Member Students With Psychosis   Vera Muñiz-Saurré is a nonbinary, queer, Peruvian-American public health professional currently working as an HIV Prevention Specialist at a mental health agency in Boston and now also as part of the Executive Board of Students with Psychosis! They have Schizoaffective disorder and are a survivor of gay conversion therapy. Starting in 2017, Vera helped found and admin the Psychosis Spectrum Server on Discord and they're still a strong community! Vera is currently seeking their Master of Public Health from Boston University focusing on Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. They joined Students with Psychosis to find more community and to be more involved with psychosis advocacy! They want to use what they are learning and have learned through their time working in public health to serve our community and to help fight the systemic barriers that keep those of us most affected by health inequities from accessing quality care.   Positionality Statement: Vera Muñiz-Saurré is a 25-year old first generation Peruvian-American of mixed indigenous Andean and Spanish descent studying Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation at Boston University’s School of Public Health living with Schizoaffective Disorder. Vera is a queer nonbinary person who uses they/them pronouns and who has done work in Boston’s community as an HIV Prevention Specialist with Casa Esperanza, a Latin American focused mental health agency, since 2019. Vera centers decolonization, liberation, and community-based participatory research in their approach to Public Health and is currently doing their practicum through Students with Psychosis in which they will conduct a Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan for the community of people in Boston who experience psychosis. Vera was raised in a conservative Catholic environment and is a survivor of conversion therapy. They plan on applying for a Clinical Psych PhD program in the fall and hope to help reduce the harms of colonization while working towards the goal of decolonizing the mental health system and broader recognition of indigenous sovereignty.

Panel Presentation Recording Panel Presentation Summary This panel presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 2nd. Dr. Molly Lopez was the panel moderator and the panel members were Angie Tyler, Clayton Carrier, and Hiram Cortes. Presentation Summary: Coordinated specialty care (CSC) for early psychosis offers a range of multidisciplinary services, including medication management, recovery coaching, family support, peer support, supported employment and education, and psychotherapy. Growing research and lived experience highlights the integral nature of peer and family support roles within these teams. However, peer support specialists have identified the importance of role clarity and teamwork to be effective in their roles. This panel explored strategies for effective multidisciplinary collaboration that centers peer and family support roles. Panelists discussed peer and family support roles, role clarity and collaboration, and overcoming barriers to effective centering of these roles. About the Panelists Moderator   Dr. Molly Lopez (she/her/hers) Director Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health   Molly Lopez is the Director of the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, a licensed clinical psychologist, and a research associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Her research interests include child and adolescent service systems, implementation of evidence-based practices, and mental health systems development and policy. She has led a number of initiatives focused on enhancing the effectiveness of systems that interact with children, youth, and adults with significant mental health challenges and their families. Dr. Lopez currently serves as a director of the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) and principal investigator on the Early Psychosis Intervention Network in Texas (EPINET-TX). Panelists     Angie Tyler (she/her/hers) Certified Bilingual Family Partner Integral Care   Angie Tyler has been working with Integral Care RA1SE Team for 5 years and 7 months. She is part of a team in Austin, TX. As a Certified Bilingual Family Partner, she is able to share her lived experience with families and help them navigate through community resources. Her work background includes working with Travis County Juvenile Probation, Caseworker at Lifeworks for Homeless foster Youth, and Arc of the Capital Area working with IDD services as well as with the Juvenile Justice Program. The work she feels most proud of is with Integral Care RA1SE team because it has allowed her the honor to walk with so many families through their own journey and to give them hope and encouragement in their most challenging moments.     Clayton Carrier (he/him/his) Peer Support Specialist Integral Care   Clayton Carrier works with young people in a First Episode Psychosis program in Austin.             Hiram Cortes (he/him/his) Program Manager Integral Care   Hiram Cortes is currently working with Austin/Travis County integral Care with the RA1SE FEP program. He has training in CBT, CBTp, and CPT, trainings that help inform services for RA1SE clients. Part of his experience is collaborating with the multidisciplinary team including PEERS and Family Partner to deliver comprehensive and person-centered care to our population. He has previously worked at The Harris Center, in Houston, Tx where he first came to know about FEP programs via their Early Onset team.   Positionality Statement: The population served by RA1SE limits participants to range of 15-30, making it a very young population. The age of the population I serve is definitely something I keep in mind as I am very close to this age group myself. I am oh Hispanic culture (Mexican) and have interacted with some of those we serve as well as their families who have a similar cultural background. Being bi-lingual (Spanish) has also helped to facilitate rapport building and buy-in to the RA1SE program for some of these individuals. I am also aware that I am a first generation in my family to attend higher education and join the mental health field, giving me a unique perspective to families and individuals we serve as the majority come from low SES circumstances. My experience as a LPC and working specifically with trauma and CBT has allowed me to connect with a variety of populations, but working with the population served by RA1SE gives me an opportunity to work with individuals who have time to alter their lie course and increase their chances at “normalizing” their life trajectory. Alternatives to early intervention have been demonstrated to include homelessness, severe substance use, and/or being involved with the justice system. While there are many community relations and systems in place to help out the community at large, the programs currently available for the FEP population is minimal and not well known but for those in the mental health field. I see it as a great honor to also include in my work the duty of being an ambassador to our work and raise awareness of the services we provide and the results we have seen including individuals getting their GED’s/higher education, becoming employed, establishing careers, sobriety, and establishing a support system.

About this Resource:  Perspectives in Mental Health Crisis is a four-part series examining the experiences of Certified Peer Specialists (CPS) as they navigate, utilize, and provide crisis services. In our fourth and final installment "Alternatives to Preventing and Responding to Crisis", our facilitators and panelists provide insight into how to avoid or lessen the negative impact of a mental health crisis. Peers share firsthand their hardships and how they were able to hold onto the things that mattered most to them, such as employment, housing, and relationships. In closing, several highly experienced and well-regarded trainers share formal skills peers can develop to enhance their resilience and prepare for the next situation life throws at them.   Click here to learn about other sessions in this series.

This webinar was hosted by the South Southwest MHTTC on June 14, 2022. Mark Garnand, CPSW, LSAA facilitated this presentation along with Nathan Lawson and Melisha Montono as part of our Region 6 Peer Support Spotlight Series focused on New Mexico. With the current leadership of the Office of Peer Recovery and Engagement (OPRE), the state of New Mexico has nearly doubled the number of Certified Peer Support Workers in our state. Assisting in various capacities, Certified Peer Support Workers (CPSWs) have become a growing and present force in the Behavioral Health Network in New Mexico. This presentation on the Four Agreements written by Don Miguel Ruiz, explored the Four Agreements discussed the understanding of how they can correlate with our Ethics and self-care as Behavioral Health Professionals.   Presentation Slides Recording

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE Many peer specialists are supervised by clinicians who do not identify as having the lived experience of recovery. In this webinar, Pat Deegan describes best practices for supervisors of peer specialists and introduces tools to help peer specialists and supervisors remain on track in their work together. The webinar recording will be of interest to supervisors and peer specialists, but all are welcome. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides Supervisor Checklist for Peer Supporters Highlights & Key Concepts Document  The Icarus Project: Madness and Oppression. Disponible en español: Locura y opresión Transformative Mutual Aid Practices (T-MAPs) Eight Dimensions of Wellness, SAMHSA The My Mental Health Crisis Plan app (available for Apple and Android mobile devices) Peer support resources from the Northwest MHTTC's resource library   FACILITATOR Pat Deegan, PhD Patricia E. Deegan, PhD's mission is to help activate and empower mental health services users in their own recovery and to provide peer supporters and clinicians with the know-how to support people in their recovery journey. She is uniquely positioned to fulfill her vocation because she was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, went on to get her doctorate in clinical psychology and today leads a company run by and for people in recovery. She is a thought-leader in the field of mental health recovery, has numerous peer-reviewed publications, has held a number of academic appointments, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. In addition to her work on the CommonGround Program, she consults with OnTrackNY and has helped the team at the Center for Practice Innovations develop an innovative model for engaging young people under the NIMH RAISE Study. The model is now being adopted nationally. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

About this Resource: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several mental health services transitioned to telemental health delivery. This product shares lessons learned and experiences from Certified Peer Specialists (CPS) in their transition to telemental health services. These experiences were collected through a qualitative survey administered by the Southeast MHTTC from August of 2020 through January of 2021 to CPS providing services in Georgia.

  ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This document describes best practices for supervisors of peer specialists and was developed in conjunction with the "The Role of the Peer within a Clinical Team" webinar held on May 3, 2022. View the recorded webinar and other related resources here.     Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE Peer specialists are not clinicians, yet work as members of clinical teams. What are the role responsibilities that colleagues can expect peer specialists to fulfill? What are signs of drift from the role of peer specialist and what does assimilation into clinical look like? In this webinar Pat Deegan discusses the unique and unduplicated contribution of peer specialists working as members of clinical teams. This webinar is relevant to, not just peer specialists, but to all members of the clinical team. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Presentation slides Highlights & Key Concepts Document My Power Statement handout My Power Statement handout in Spanish: Mi Power Statement (en español)   FACILITATOR Pat Deegan, PhD Patricia E. Deegan, PhD's mission is to help activate and empower mental health services users in their own recovery and to provide peer supporters and clinicians with the know-how to support people in their recovery journey. She is uniquely positioned to fulfill her vocation because she was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, went on to get her doctorate in clinical psychology and today leads a company run by and for people in recovery. She is a thought-leader in the field of mental health recovery, has numerous peer-reviewed publications, has held a number of academic appointments, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. In addition to her work on the CommonGround Program, she consults with OnTrackNY and has helped the team at the Center for Practice Innovations develop an innovative model for engaging young people under the NIMH RAISE Study. The model is now being adopted nationally. Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

  ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This document addresses transgender health topics, including the concept of co-conspiratorship and how it differs from allyship, healthcare disparities and more. This document was developed from the webinar on transgender health with Ryan Kim Tiêu held on October 13, 2021. View the recorded webinar and other related resources here.     Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

The Encouraging Change podcast is hosted by Kris Kelly, BS and Laura Saunders, MSSW. This series addresses topics related to using motivational interviewing in peer recovery support. Laura is a Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) member and a MI trainer, and Kris is a program manager for the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence and an expert in peer recovery support services. All the episodes in this newly released series are available on the Great Lakes Wave Anchor channel, along with tons of other great content. You can listen to all of our podcasts directly on Anchor, or you can listen to them using Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and many other podcast platforms!    Episode 1 - Introducing the podcast and an overview of the application of MI skills in peer recovery support services. Episode 2 - Using MI Skills to Initiate and Develop Relationships Episode 3 - Providing Support: What Does It Mean? Episode 4 - Skillfully Sharing Lived Experiences of Recovery Episode 5 - Personalizing Peer Support: The Uniqueness of the Recovery Process Episode 6 - Recovery Planning: Are We There Yet? Episode 7 - Effective and Person-Centered Ways to Connect People With Resources, Services, and Their Communities  Episode 8 - Growth Through Discovery and Co-Learning Episode 9 - Peer Recovery Support Providers Coming Alongside Recoveries In Crisis Episode 10 - Valuing Communication Through Active Listening  Episode 11 - Developing Effective Relationships, Partnerships, and Family Systems Episode 12 - Promoting Leadership and Advocacy Episode 13 - Becoming More Reflective and Competent in Your Practice

About this Resource:  Perspectives in Mental Health Crisis is a four-part series examining the experiences of Certified Peer Specialists (CPS) as they navigate, utilize, and provide crisis services. In part 2 of this series, peer panelists discussed differing peer perspectives on and experiences with crisis, explained strategies for preventing and managing crises, and provided crisis support resources.   Click here to learn about and register for our upcoming sessions in this series.   

In our April 2022 newsletter, we highlight upcoming webinars on homelessness and mental health, multicultural perspectives in behavioral health practice, and the role of peers within a clinical team. This newsletter also provides resources for National Minority Health Month and information on evidence-based care for LGBTQI+ youth. 

This webinar event occurred on March 11, 2022 and was facilitated by Brent Ambacher.  In 2017, Louisiana was still an abstinence-only state as far as any treatment options were concerned for those experiencing OUD. Taking up the SAMHSA State Targeted Response (STR) Grant meant a whole new approach was required as it funded medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for the first time, and Peer Support was seen as essential from day one. Each of the state’s ten human services districts put a Peer on staff for the Grant, and each of the state’s ten OTPs hired a resource coordinator to liaise with them. This presentation encapsulates Louisiana's experiences in setting these steps in motion, the mistakes we’d avoid in future, the teething troubles we’ve experienced, and more importantly, the successes and knowledge we’ve gained along the way.  Participants will: Discover what peers add to the process in a strictly monitored treatment environment  Learn how they can both assist and anticipate the needs of the counsellors Identify specific roles that can play within an Opioid Trearment Provider (OTP) Learn about the benefits of embedding Peers in harm reduction teams and their role as links between treatment, support services, and the individuals they encounter

On January 13, 2022, this experienced peer support panel of Arkansas peer leaders presented information on identifying and tapping into peer statewide infrastructure. Participants will hear their journey and lessons learned while developing a Peer Advisory Committee in the state of Arkansas. Objectives: Understand the need for Peer/Consumer Advisory Committees, Be able to identify the best practices to support person led advocacy, and  Learn the structure of the Arkansas Committee as a model.  PowerPoint slides can be viewed HERE.

This interactive presentation was facilitated on March 17, 2022 by Rita Cronise and Gita Enders.  In this presentation, you will learn about the origin and values of peer support, the introduction and inclusion of peer support services in traditional service settings, the role of the supervisor in helping peer staff to remain true to peer support values, and some best practices for supervisors of this unique workforce. After the presentation, participants will be able to: Describe mutual support and the core values of peer support Compare clinical services with non-clinical peer support Communicate the benefits of supervisors who have experience as peer support workers Utilize best practices in the supervision of peer support workers.   Download the Powerpoint slides here.   

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This Q&A document addresses the role of peer providers in supporting the recovery journey; providing support to people in recovery; stigma and bias; and medication-assisted treatment (MAT); and other topics. This document was developed from the "Listening to Voices of Lived Experience in Recovery" webinar held on December 9, 2021. View the recorded webinar and other related resources here.     Terms of use and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) disclosure statement

/*-->*/ /*--> Coordinated specialty care for early psychosis is an evidence-based treatment model aimed at fostering resilience and recovery for individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis or are at clinical high risk for developing psychosis. Each webinar will be co-presented by a professional with expertise in that component of care, as well as an individual with lived experience who can speak to how this aspect of care was meaningful in their journey towards recovery. This series is geared towards any individuals that are new to working on an Early Psychosis Specialty Team – including students, clinicians, prescribers, supported employment specialists, family clinicians, and peer specialists.   Presenter:  /*-->*/ /*--> Patrick Kaufmann