Each of these sessions is an hour class. These are the questions and answers to the entire training.

SESSION ONE
WELCOME, INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF THE TRAINING

There is a Statement of Peer Specialist Training

There is a uniqueness of your common experience and commonness of your unique experience

This is the Paradox of the Peer Specialist Training:

As a Peer Specialist we are asked to be in the system but not of the system

Peer Specialists are expected to exhibit mutuality.

Peer Specialists also have to walk the talk but also walk to a different drummer at the same time.

There are some people who think only volunteers outside the system should do this Peer Support work. How much Peers can
and should work inside the system is a matter of debate.

THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TRAINING

1. Helping another person move on with his or her life with recovery
2. Getting the person to get in touch with what they want
Establish Recovery Goals
3. Helping him or her identify barriers and remove those barriers

MOST OFTEN THE BARRIERS ARE

1. Symptoms and side effects of medications

2. Negative beliefs that other people have about persons with a psychiatric condition
3. Negative beliefs that people have about him or herself

EVERYTHING IN THE PEER SPECIALIST TRAINING IS DESIGNED TO HELP BY

1. Creating a context to help you do this work of a Cetified Peer Specialist

2. Helping you think about and define the unique role to do this work as a Certified Peer Specialist.
3. Giving support and skills to a person to do this job of being a Certified Peer Specialist.
SESSION TWO
THE SHIFT FROM MAINTENANCE TO RECOVERY

Mental health has moved through three phases

People can not recover

People need to be stabilized and maintained
The programs were state hospitals and/or programs of heavy behavior modification

Then moved to

People can recover

Introduce Recovery concepts to staff and other people in the programs and their families
The programs were Case Management, Day Programs and an emphasis on ADL training

Then moved to

Systems can recover

Systematize Recovery
The programs being developed are Peer Support, Person Centered Planning and eventually Self determination.

Today there are five areas of Evidence Based Practice

1. Integrated programs for people with Co Occurring Disorders

2. Supported Employment
3. Family Education
4. Illness Management and Recovery or Wellness
5. Act Teams. These are Assertive Community Teams(ACT) which provide care and support in the community and have
nurses, social workers, and peer specialists on the ACT teams.

The Surgeon General’s Report shows that

People with psychiatric conditions can move into areas of productivity and intimacy. People with mental health conditions can
obtain education, work, leisure, creativity and personal relationships.

The Recovery concept is supported by both research and people’s established success in mental health programs.

Substance abuse is a major part of the lives of people in our mental health programs. Co Occuring Disorders or conditions
should be seen and programs for Co Occuring Conditions should be implemented.

Sensitivity to race, gender, disability and poverty and involvement of people in our programs in the planning/implementation of
those programs are part of the new mental health system.

The report also addressed and identified stigma for the first time in a major way

The report also brought forward and introuduced the concepts of

1. Self help support

2. Recipient of services created programs
3. Advocacy
TRANSFORMING THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM MEANS

1. Services must oriented toward the recipient of the services and must be family oriented
2. Services must focus on increasing the person’s ability to cope with life’s challenges, on facilitating recovery, and on building
resilience.

GOALS IN A TRANSFORMED MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM

1. Mental health is important to overall health

2. Mental health is driven by recipient of services and our families
Individual plan of services’
3. Families are involved
4. Federal programs aligned to improve access and accountability to mental health
5. Disparities in mental health services are removed
6. Early mental health screening
6. Excellent mental health care is improved and that improvement is accelerated
7. Technology is used to better access mental health care

PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION AND RECOVERY

1. Recovery is the goal

2. Normalizing roles are established in the community
3. The person has choices
4. All people have the capacity to learn and grow
5. People who receive the services have the right to direct our care
6. Culture and ethnicity plays an important role in recovery
[Link] and planning of services is based on strengths and not what is wrong with the person.
8. All services address unique needs
9. Involvement and partnerships with people receiving services is an essential ingredient or recovery
10. Psychiatric Rehabilitation providers should always strive to improve the services that they provide

There are differences between Treatment and Recovery services

Treatment Services

Purpose Focus Activities

Decrease emotional Symptom reduction Treatment Planning
Distress Diagnosis,Treatment,therapy

Recovery Services

Purpose Focus Activities

Maintain independence Rebuild positive image Goals,skills,Services, Supports and skills
SESSION THREE
MAINTAIN RECOVERY USING YOUR RECOVERY STORY AS A TOOL

[Link] IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECOVERY AND ILLNESS STORY

The complete story is the recovery story
Illness story keeps people in diagnosis
Focuses on what I did and others did that works.
Illness story focuses on I am powerless and war stories

[Link] DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE OBJECTIVITY

Try to be balanced so that we just don’t focus on the negative

[Link] TWO EXAMPLES OF HOW WE CAN USE OUR OWN RECOVERY

Give practical information
Warm support
Companionship
Give hope
Give suggestions not directions
Give interest
Search for other hopeful persons

SESSION FOUR
DISABLING POWER OF THE PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS

1 WHAT ARE THE FIVE WAYS PEOPLE OFTEN RELATE TO POWER OF A PSYCHIATRIC CONDITION. THESE ARE
CALLED FIVE STAGES IN RECOVERY PROCESS

IMPACT
Overwhelmed
Not able to function
Emotional distress

Life is the illness

Symptom reduction

Explain, translate and advocate

Be consistent with the person

LIFE IS LIMITED

Given in to symptoms
This is all there is
Time to instill hope

Time to share success or recovery stories

Time to not let the person get lost in the system
CHANGE IS POSSIBLE

Questioning
Beginning to believe in life
Empower the person
Believe in Recovery with small steps

Encourage that life could be different

Person might not take risks

COMMITMENT TO CHANGE

Challenging the disability

Willing to explore

Help person identify strengths, skills and resources

Assist with goal setting

Brainstorming strengths and skills

Go slow in the phase but go

ACTIONS FOR CHANGE

Moving beyond the disability

Willing to take responsibility

Uses strengths to get skills, resources and opportunities

Assist with goal setting

Maintenance of goal plan

Make sure person has all the supports to accomplish goals

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE THE LIFE GOALS TO MANAGE THE ILLNESS AND MANAGE LIFE’S CHALLENGES?

Person can come to understand the nature of the disability. What is the disability and what is the environment. If a person
doesn’t understand both factors, then the person can become impacted or delayed in their recovery.
SESSION 5
THE ROLE OF PEER SUPPORT IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS

WHAT GOING ON WITH THE PERSON IN THE FIVE STAGES WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SERVICE

IMPACT OF PSYCHIATRIC CONDITION

Services are:
Decrease emotional distress by reducing symptoms
CPS does:
Asks to assist in things
Be a consistent presence

LIFE IS LIMITED
Services are:
Instilling hope, sense of possibility, positive self image
CSP does:
Uses dissatisfaction as avenue for change. Encourage outings into the world
See the world beyond treatment

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE
Services are:
Empower the person to participate in their own recovery by taking small steps
CSP does:
Encourage success stories
Encourage supported baby steps

COMMITMENT TO CHANGE
Services are:
Help the person identify strengths and needs in terms of skills, resources and supports.
CPS does:
Assist in goal setting ideas, teach resource hunting skills, transform strengths and needs
Rome wasn’t built in a day model

ACTIONS FOR CHANGE

Services are:
Help the person use skills, resources and supports.
CPS does:
Assist in goal setting and maintain plan goals. Encourage role planning.
Asking for assistance. Model is down and not out

WHAT IS MEANT BY PEER SUPPORT?

Peer support is mutual support by two people who have experienced a life in the mental health system. Therefore, peer
support happens naturally.

The formal way of peer support is

Peers have to be trained to do this
Peers have to be paid

The informal way of peer support

Person not paid to do it
No set way
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF PEER SUPPORT AT FIVE STAGES OF RECOVERY PROCESS?

IMPACT
CPS does:
Asks to assist in things
Be a consistent presence

LIFE IS LIMITED
CSP does:
Uses dissatisfaction as avenue for change. Encourage outings into the world
See the world beyond treatment

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE
CSP does:
Encourage success stories
Encourage supported baby steps

COMMITMENT TO CHANGE
CPS does:
Assist in goal setting ideas, teach resource hunting skills, transform strengths and needs
Rome wasn’t built in a day model

ACTIONS FOR CHANGE

CPS does:
Assist in goal setting and maintain plan goals. Encourage role playing.
Asking for assistance. Model is down and not out

SESSION SIX
THE POWER OF NEGATIVE PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTS

[Link] IS MEANT BY NEGATIVE MESSAGES?

Negative messages portray people with psychiatric conditions as less than....

Negative messages keep people with mental health conditions from fully accomplishing our recovery and sometimes from
attempting our recovery.

[Link] ARE NEGATIVE MESSAGES SENT IN MENTAL HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS?

Negative messages are sent by staff. These people are too sick. These people are too incapable. This person is not ready.

Also, people with mental health conditions also send message that we are not ready or able.

There is both systemic and personal negative self talk.

[Link] THREE EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE MESSAGES IN MENTAL HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS?

1. Not recognizing the personal growth

2. Too many demands on the person
3. Unable to verbalize goals due to fear or too much caution
SESSION SEVEN
CREATING PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTS WHICH PROMOTE RECOVERY

[Link] IS MEANT BY THE TERM NEGATIVE MESSAGES?

Negative messages are those discouraging messages sent to discourage people rather than encourage people.

[Link] THREE EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE MESSAGES IN MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS ENVIRONMENTS

1. Minimizing people’s feelings and thoughts or

2. Recovery is not possible for “our people” or
3. People are doing the same thing all the time or
4. Our people aren’t ready or
5. Distancing language such as “the clients” or “those people”
6. The people in our program are not the people in recovery. The people in our program are too sick and needy.

[Link] DO NEGATIVE MESSAGES HAVE SUCH A POWER AND/OR ROLE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM?

There seems to be a power differential. Negative messages reinforces and amplifies the power differential.

[Link] IS MEANT BY THE STATEMENT THAT THE ABSENCE OF NEGATIVE MESSAGES IS MORE IMPORTANT IN
CREATING A POSITIVE SELF IMAGE THAN THE PRESENCE OF POSITIVE IMAGES?

Positive self image is hard to develop in an environment where people are surrounded by negative images.

[Link] FOUR ACTIVITIES THAT RECOVERY BASED DAY PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE?

1. Eliminate negative messages

2. Provide peer mentors
3. Make available peer mentors who can share their positive recovery stories
4. Offer people classes in stress reduction
5. Set up wellness group
6. Set up support meetings
7. Insure over riding theme is that people can get better
8. Train people to write their own progress notes
9. Create opportunities for people in the programs to share their success stories

[Link] WOULD YOU DO TO CHANGE THE FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM TO RECOVERY?

1. Set up ongoing educational support meetings based on the Recovery Dialog model.
2. Train people in the programs to assume roles of meaningful work in program
3. Find ways to pay people to do the meaningful work
4. Have on going discussions about what is working and not working with the program by community meetings based on
mutually sharing ideas and experiences. This is the leveling the playing field model

7. IF YOU WERE TO VISIT THE DAY PROGRAMS OF ANOTHER MENTAL HEALTH AGENCY WHAT WOULD WE LOOK
FOR TO SEE IF THE PROGRAM WAS NOT RECOVERY ORIENTED.

1. No participatory role for the people in the program

2. No peer support
3. No equal dialog or conversation with staff
4. No participation in the program only passive involvement
SESSION EIGHT
THE IMPACT OF IMAGE ON ONE’S SELF IMAGE

[Link] DOES THE STATEMENT MEAN WHEN ONE LIVES WITHOUT HOPE(WHEN ONE HAS GIVEN UP) THE
WILLINGNESS TO DO IS PARALYZED AS WELL MEAN?

Hope is the driving force for recovery. People need hope to get motivated. Despair is part of the Impact of the psychiatric
condition and paralyzing.

2. WHAT DOES THE STATEMENT MEAN IT IS TRULY BEING DISABLED NOT BY DISEASE OR INJURY BUT BY
DESPAIR

If despair keeps people locked away in symptoms then coming out of despair can lessen the impact of the mental health
condition. Coming out of despair can lead a person into dissatisfaction and preparing the person to get ready to change.

[Link] IS THE ROLE OF PEER SUPPORT WHEN A PERSON IS STRUGGLING WITH A SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS.

Peer support is a process of mutual exchange of hope and knowledge. People can learn from each other and learn from each
in peer support several different times during the day and in several different ways.

Peer support seems ready, willing and able to be a presences in a person’s life over a long period of time

[Link] DOES THE DIAGNOSIS OF MENTAL ILLNESS HAVE SUCH A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON PEOPLE’S SELF
IMAGE.

People feel worse when they have a negative label and/or when their strengths are not seen or acknowledged. People come
looking for help and get a negative reaction. This negative reaction can only make people feel worse and get worse.

[Link] DOES THE STATEMENT -WHILE INDIVIDUAL SERVICE PLANS WHICH FOCUS ON TREATING THE SYMPTOMS
MAY REDUCE THE EMOTIONAL DISTRESS-THEY SELDOM MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGES IN
THEIR LIVES?

There is more to recovery than just symptom reduction. People have to find meaning and a place in life. They have to feel part
of and not alienated. People can reach realistic levels of recovery and still have symptoms. With hope, people can become
motivated and accomplish a lot.

[Link] IS MEANT BY THE STATEMENT WHILE SYMPTOMS BRING PEOPLE IN FOR RECOVERY WE NEED TO SHIFT
THE FOCUS TO WELLNESS.

Wellness is learning how to take care of ourselves so that we can keep going. Again, we can keep going and have symptoms.
I hear voices in the middle of the night. With all the best prevention plans. I have learned to accept that I have some
frightening aspects to my life. I can not get rid of the voices. I can keep going.
SESSION NINE
BELIEFS AND VALUES THAT PROMOTE AND SUPPORT RECOVERY

WHAT ARE THREE VALUES WHICH PROMOTE AND SUPPORT RECOVERY?

1. Person determines recovery

2. More than our symptoms
3. Creating our life and sometimes creating a new life
4. Living a personal journey
5. Gaining a meaning and purpose
6. Taking control of our lives
7. Rediscovering hope
8. Doing for myself
9. Doing what I want
10. Finding ways to change
11. Being motivated the change
12. Understanding loss and regaining self
13. Getting over barriers
14. Reconnecting us to the world around us
15. Relapsing is part of recovery

SESSION TEN
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PART ONE
LISTENING

[Link] A CPS YOU MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH THREE TYPES OF HIGH RISK RESPONSES?
1. Judging
2. Sending solutions
3. Avoiding concerns

[Link] ARE THE THREE CLUES THAT SOMEONE FEELS LISTENED TO?
1. People talk about their problems rather than other concerns or issues
[Link] might be blind to their emotions or blinded by their emotions
[Link] have different meanings for different folks. We are able to acknowledge that difference.

[Link] IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACCEPTING AND AGREEING?

Reflective listening restates the response from the listener to the speaker and does so in a way that demonstrates
understanding and acceptance.

How do you know that you have got it right. Speaker accepts what was said by the CPS. The CPS is able to say and repeat
what the the speaker says.
SESSION ELEVEN
DISSATISFACTION AS AN AVENUE FOR CHANGE

[Link] A PERSON HAS EXPRESSED DIS SATISFACTION WHAT ARE FIVE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO TO HELP
THEM GET THROUGH THAT

1. Understand the degree of dis satisfaction

2. Understand the Benefits and the Costs of a decision of change
3. Understand the difficulties
4. Understand the needs to get started
5. Understand the supports needed to start and maintain the change

[Link] PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A RECOVERY GOAL

WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

What would your life be like:

1. If you were not with a mental health condition
2. If you had a perfect day and could do what you wanted
3. If we had a magic wand and could make the person or world different

SESSION TWELVE
FACING ONE’S FEARS

[Link] IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF FEARS TO COMFORT ZONES

Fears can keep us in the comfort zone with little or no chance of leaving
There is little risk taken by staying in the comfort zone.

[Link] FEARS BEHIND SOME FEARS IS THAT WE CAN NOT HANDLE THE FEELINGS THAT WILL ARISE GIVE SOME
EXAMPLES

The fear behind all fears is that we can not handle the feelings.

[Link] ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP ANOTHER PERSON GET OUT OF THE COMFORT
ZONE?
1. Walk through the comfort zone and out of the comfort zone with the person
2. Be a presence in the person’s life
3. Spend time brainstorming and talking
4. Learn about the person and try to do some things together

SESSION THIRTEEN
COMBATING NEGATIVE SELF TALK
1. WHAT IS NEGATIVE SELF TALK?
Thoughts and feelings which corrode and eat away at our thinking and being of our self.

[Link] ROLE DOES NEGATIVE SELF TALK PLAY IN PERSON’S LIFE?

1. Negative Self talk keeps us from doing what we would like to do in life.
2. Negative self talk can also create negative attitudes toward others
3. Negative self talk can lead into living with long term resentments
[Link] ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE FOUND TO COMBAT NEGATIVE SELF TALK?
Stay busy. Keep working
Be with people who want to be with me
Go to endless support meetings
Read something and get some new ideas
Watch a vide(no network television) get some new ideas.
mmmSESSION FOURTEEN
PROBLEM SOLVING WITH INDIVIDUALS

1. WHAT ARE THE FIVE BASIC STEPS TO PROBLEM SOLVING WITH INDIVIDUALS. (PIBCBA)

1. Problem
State the problem as clearly as possible

2. Impact
Ask what he or she might be doing negatively to impact the problem

3. Cost/Benefit
High and Low Cost/Benefit
Ask if problem is not resolved what is going to be the cost long term and short term
What is the high and low cost benefit, also

4. Brainstorm
What are possible ways to solve this problem
Discuss pro and cons also

5. Actions
What are the best solutions to this problem

here are more than two choices

A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved
To every solution, there is knowing that there is a problem

Discuss pro and cons also. These are high and low cost benefits

People need to want to solve it

PIBCBA

SESSION FIFTEEN
THE ROLE OF SPIRITUALITY IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS

1, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT SPIRITUALITY HAS PLAYED OUT INTO PEOPLE’S LIVES. SOME OF THE
WAYS SPIRITUALITY HAS PLAYED OUT IN OUR LIVES

These are personal answers

SESSION SIXTEEN
CREATING A WELLNESS RECOVERY ACTION PLAN (WRAP)

DAILY MAINTENANCE
Make a list of characteristics that I am like when doing well
Make a list of things to do when I am feeling well
Make a list of additional things that I might do when feeling well

TRIGGERS
Make a list of events or circumstance which might make symptoms worse
Make list of what to do to keep triggers from getting worse
Make a list of things that I might do to restore my feeling well

EARLY WARNING SIGNS

Make list of early warning signs
Make list of what to do about early warning signs
Make list of what I might do to beginning feeling well

WHEN THINGS ARE BREAKING DOWN

Make list of symptoms which have worsened and close to crisis stage
Make list of things that I can do to help my symptoms when things have gotten to this stage

CRISIS PLANNING
What am I like when I am doing well
Describe symptoms when someone might have to take over
Supporters list five supporters which you would like to take over for you
MEDICATIONS
Name of physician and pharmacy
List medications that your would like to take if medications become necessary
List medications which would become acceptable if necessary
List medications which should be avoided and for what reasons

TREATMENT
List treatments that you would like
List treatment that you would like to avoid

HOME/COMMUNITY RESPITE
List home or community care that you would like to receive
List treatment facilities that you like and that you would like to avoid
List those who can help you feel better
List indicators which are there when you no longer need the supporters
List the behaviors which endanger you
List you post crisis plan and you post crisis supporters
POST CRISIS

Things I must take of soon as possible

Things I can ask someone else to do for me
Thing that can wait until I feel better
Things that I need to do every day until I recover from this crisis
Things that I need to avoid when I am recovering from this crisis
Signs I maybe beginning to get worse
Wellness tools that I am starting to use when I am feeling worse.
Things I need to do to stop repercussions from this crisis

People I need to thank

People I need to apologize to
People I need to make amends to

Things that I need to do to prevent further loss

Signs that my post crisis phase is over and I can go back to Daily Maintenance

Change in Crisis Plan to ease my recovery

Changes I want to make in my life style of life goals
What did I learn from the crisis
Are there changes that I want or need to make in my life.
Can I get through crisis easier

Timetable of resuming FULL responsibility

For instance, when do I want to go back to work, etc.

SESSION SEVENTEEN
FIVE STAGE IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS
DANGERS AND INTERVENTIONS

[Link] IS MEANT BY THE IMPACT OF DIAGNOSIS STAGE AND THE DANGER THAT THE DIAGNOSIS BECOMES
ONE’S IDENTITY
People in this stage just see themselves as illness and are overwhelmed. Stuck in and with the diagnosis and/or deep state of
the psychiatric condition.
-Danger sees themselves as illness and lives out illness or disability story

[Link] IS MEANT BY LIFE IS LIMITED STAGE AND DANGER IN THE UNAWARENESS OF POSSIBILITY
Given in to despair No dreams or hopes Giving in to no hopes and/or dreams.
-Danger there is nothing to do to make life better. Turns life over to system

[Link] IS MEANT BY CHANGE IS POSSIBLE STAGE AND UNWILLINGNESS TO TAKE A RISK

Questioning but afraid Not going anywhere Danger is not going anywhere
-Danger sees possibility but is unable to take risk for fear might relapse

[Link] IS MEANT BY THE COMMITMENT TO CHANGE AND THE DANGER IS UNWILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT
TAKING A RISK
Challenging disability Willing to explore Must weigh options and strengths
-Danger is not thinking it through and moving too quickly

[Link] IS MEANT BY THE ACTION TO CHANGE AND THE DANGER IS BELIEVING THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH
SYSTEM WILL ALWAYS BE ONE’S COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT.

Moving beyond disability. Willing to explore. Get necessary resources.

-Danger does not have the help to get the necessary skills resources and supports in place to move beyond the disability.
SESSIONS EIGHTEEN
EVALUATIONS OF PROGRAMS

Program evaluations are important to the development and implementation of new programs. Mental health programs are well
researched before they are rolled out and implemented. Research can also help keep quality mental health programs.

Program evaluations are part of the modern mental health world. They have instruments and help collect data. Participating in
program evaluation and research will also be part of the job of peer specialists.

SESSIONS NINETEEN
POWER, CONFLICT AND INTEGRITY IN THE WORKPLACE
PART ONE

[Link] ARE THE THREE STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN SITUATIONS WITH
POTENTIAL CONFLICT?
1. Observe other person’s position
2. Relate to other person’s position
3. Offer we statements through common ground and promote partnership

[Link] ARE THE FIVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU NEED TO THINK THROUGH BETWEEN WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT
A CO WORKER MIGHT WANT
1. Who are the parties
2. What do I know about the issues
3. What are possible areas of conflict
4. What actions allow integrity
5. What is action that I or we should take to keep integrity of both parities.

SESSION TWENTY
FACILITATING RECOVERY DIALOGS

[Link] IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEACHER AND FACILITATOR

Teacher is one way
Facilitator brings out dialog

[Link] IS FACILITATOR’S ROLE IN CONDUCTING RECOVERY DIALOGS

Finds content
Introduces material
Discusses material
Relates dialog to recovery

[Link] IS BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN FACILITATING RECOVERY DIALOG

People think that they have all the answers

People introduce material

While the group introduces ideas
SESSION TWENTY ONE
USING SUPPORT GROUPS TO SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN RECOVERY

Support meetings are the fastest growing trend in health care. Peer specialists are peers and therefor they can facilitate
support meetings. There are operational guidelines for each group. Each support group will follow their operational guide
lines.

Support meetings are ways that the peer specialist can get to know the people who they are working with and the people
worked with can get to know the peer specialist.

FIVE REASONS FOR PEER SUPPORT

1. Provides social network
2. Moves people from the role of always being helped to helping
3. Shares specific ways of coping
4. People with coping skills can serve as role models
5. Provides meaningful structure not imposed from outside

SESSION TWENTY TWO

CREATING LIFE THAT ONE WANTS

1. Creating a goal always involves changing our current situation

2. Sustaining change involves changing the way we think and act
3. We need to become aware of what we are doing that is creating and sustaining our current situation
4. We need to become aware of how our life is creating and sustaining our current environment

TEN STEPS TO CREATING A LIFE THAT WE WANT

1. State clearly as possible what we want to create

2. Be clear why we want this and how our life will be different
3. Be clear about what we are changing to accomplish the goal
4. Realize what we have in order to achieve the goal
5. Understand also what we have going against us in achieving the goal
6. Be aware of the negative self talk which undermines and sabotages us
7. Be clear about what we need to achieve the goal in terms of skills, resources and support systems
8. List three to five major actions we might need to make to initiate movement toward the goal
9. Stay focused on what we want to create and not the difficulties
10. Think of ways that we can care for ourselves as we work to achieve this goal
SESSION TWENTY THREE
BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE RECOVERY PROCESS

WHAT ARE THEY?

Hope
Symptom control
Knowledge
Wellness plan
Spirituality
Positive self image
Support network
Personal goals
Economic Stability
Choices
Physical health
Personal responsibility
SESSION TWENTY FOUR
FINAL REFLECTIONS AND NEST STEPS

1. LIST FIVE TO SEVEN PARTS OF THE TRAINING THAT YOU FOUND MOST HELPFUL

[Link] IMPACT DID THE TRAINING HAVE ON YOU

[Link] IS THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU?

SESSION TWENTY FIVE

HUMAN EXPERIENCE LANGUAGE

[Link] IS OFTEN A REAL NEED TO REFUSE OR REJECT THE NOTION OF ILLNESS

WHY? The language of illness can keep us sicker for a longer time

HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THIS NEGATIVE SELF TALK

The consumers who I work with are unmotivated

I ask the consumers all the time but they don’t have goals
That consumer does things all the time just to make me angry
He’s non compliant and manipulative

How do you respond. What is the USPRA language of choice. Have a copy around the office

SESSION TWENTY SIX

TRAUMA

[Link] IS THE LINK BETWEEN EARLY CHILDHOOD VIOLENCE AND PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH

[Link] IS THE TRAUMA PARADIGM (TRAUMA IS THE NORM AND NOT THE EXCEPTION)

Develop basic needs

Physical safety
Empowering relationships
‘Valued roles
Skills development
Recontextualization
Wellness
Altruism/Activism

SESSION TWENTY SEVEN

HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES
Health care disparities are institutionalized forms of discrimination that pose barriers to fair and equal access to care. The
Surgeon General’s report of 2001 states this. People are discriminated against because they are seen as minority group.
Health care disparities exist in the United States. It is our responsibility as Peer Specialists to bring good quality physical and
mental health to all people. We do not discriminate and sign a code of ethics which is a binding social contract to no
discriminate and fight discrimination.