Sonoma County, California 94952, United States
Global Peer Support CELEBRATION Day (GPSCD)
Proclamation 2019
Global Peer Support Proclamation
Whereas: Global Peer Supporter Celebration Day (GPSCD) occurs annually on the third Thursday in October peer workers (also known as peer providers) from across the globe reflect on and celebrate the important role he/she plays in helping those with mental health, addiction, and or traumatic challenges move along the continuum of recovery and inclusion into communities of his/her choosing; and
Whereas: Peer Supporters are trained providers who use his/her lived experience to encourage, engage with, and support others with mental health, addiction, and or trauma challenges, using the recovery model and the principals and values of peer support to provide hope, support, and be a role model of recovery; and
Whereas: The belief that recovery is possible for all who experience mental health, addiction, and or traumatic challenges is fundamental to the practice of peer support. Peer Supporters use the working definition of recovery, the Guiding Principals of Recovery, and Core Values to empower and assist their peers live a life of his or her choosing, improving the likelihood of long-term recovery; and
Whereas: Peer support is an emerging best-practice, has proven to be a cost-effective treatment for mental health, addiction, and traumatic challenges, reduces inpatient hospital days, recidivism rates, and increases a patient’s (also referred to as consumers) ability to access expensive and more restrictive community-based services; and
Whereas: This year’s Global Peer Support Celebration Day goal is to increase public awareness of peer supporters, the services they provide (or do not provide), how they are impacting the lives of countless adults, children, adolescents, and families within the health and human services industry, and how they are providing a shining example of recovery in the places where these services are delivered.
GPSCD
The idea of a ‘national day’ for peer supporters began to take shape at the 2014 Annual International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. This day of celebration, recognition, and reflection began when, the then National Director of Peer Support Services with the Veteran’s Administration, Dan O’Brien-Mazza discussed his idea at a membership meeting. His idea sparked much enthusiasm from other iNAPS members.
We now have Global Peer Support Celebration Day (GPSCD), an annual celebration of peer supporters, peer support, and recognizing their work in helping their peers with mental health, addictions, and or trauma-related challenges move along the continuum of recovery and inclusion into communities of his/her choosing. This annual, worldwide event takes place annually on the third Thursday in October.
Peer Specialists in Integrated Care
By: De Anne Nichole Dwight
Peer Specialists in Integrated Care By: De Anne Nichole Dwight
October 2019
Integrative care, meeting both medical and behavioral health needs in one location, is increasingly becoming the norm.
Learning Objectives
- Define integrative care and its effect on peers working in healthcare.
- Recognize the value of peer support specialists in health care settings and the importance of advocacy for these roles and peer support as a whole.
- Identify skills for increasing professionalism and leadership as a peer support while maintaining personal wellness.
Peer Certification
SB 803 Senator Jim Beall 2020
January 08, 2020
SACRAMENTO - Today, long-time mental health champion Senator Jim Beall introduced legislation SB 803 to create state certification for mental health care providers known as Peer Support Specialists. The Peer Support Specialist Certification Act of 2020 establishes a statewide certification program for peer support specialists and provides the structure needed to maximize the federal match for peer services under Medi-Cal.
Last year, Senator Beall’s bipartisan effort, SB 10, made it to the Governor’s desk with unanimous votes, where it was vetoed. Sen. Beall is reintroducing this legislative initiative as an effort to make strategic, cost-effective reforms to California’s mental health programs.
“Statewide certification of Peer Support Specialists will save the State money while improving mental health outcomes. The Governor and I have the same goals- help people and use our resources wisely. SB 803 will improve our system in an ongoing, sustainable way.”
A peer is a person who draws on lived experience with mental illness and/or substance use disorder and recovery, bolstered by specialized training, to deliver valuable support services in a mental health and/or substance use setting. “It is time that peers are validated as an essential and professional part of the behavioral health workforce,” asserts Sally Zinman, Executive Director of California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations (CAMHPRO).
The State does not have enough qualified mental health professionals necessary to ensure all Californians receive care. Peer Support Specialists are a much needed addition to the workforce.
Dr. Jonathan Sherin, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, emphasized that LA County is ready to take action. “LA County looks to expand upon and professionalize its peer support programs in a sustainable manner which will not be possible until we secure statewide certification and a reliable reimbursement mechanism. Leveraging lived experience through peer support is critical to the service transformation we need in California. The State must make the most of every resource available to address our mental health crisis; recognizing Peer Support Specialists statewide will be a wise investment.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and 48 states have a certification process in place or in development for mental health peer support specialists. In 2007, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released guidance establishing a certification program for peers thus enabling states to receive a 50% federal match.
Studies show that peers contribute to the ability of people with mental illness and substance abuse to obtain education and employment, contributing to the California economy rather than depending on social safety nets alone.
"Research demonstrates that the utilization of qualified peer support specialists has measurable benefits to clients including reduced hospitalizations, improved functioning, and alleviation of depression and other symptoms. The time has come for California to embrace peer support as an evidence-based model and put in place a certification program that will standardize best practices” stated Maggie Merritt, Executive Director of the Steinberg Institute, a Sacramento-based non-profit mental health public policy institute.
In California, demand for peer services is growing, but there is no statewide scope of practice, training standards, supervision standards, or certification.
“California has an important opportunity to deliver quality, cost-effective, evidence-based mental health services and add diversity to our mental health workforce by certifying Peer Support Specialists,” said Michelle Doty Cabrera, executive director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California (CBHDA). “While California faces a severe shortage of mental health professionals needed to serve our diverse communities, the specific services delivered by trained, supervised peers have shown to improve client outcomes and reduce costs at the same time. But California can only realize these benefits for our mental health clients in Medi-Cal if we join the 48 states that have already recognized the effectiveness of Peer Support Services through certification."
The legislation is applauded by a broad and large coalition of supporters, and is sponsored by California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations, County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, and Steinberg Institute.
If you would like to speak to the Senator or have a question, call Sunshine Borelli 408-391-8834.
SB10 Vetoed Oct 2019
Governor Newsom Takes Final Action of 2019 Legislative Season
Published: Oct 13, 2019
Joint accomplishments include urgently addressing California’s affordability crisis by passing the Nation’s strongest statewide rent protections, expanding health care coverage and passing legislation to lower prescription drug prices
Focused on effective government by fortifying state against natural disasters and economic downturns – passing historic wildfire safety legislation and creating largest rainy day fund Ensuring justice for all Californians by passing historic clean drinking water legislation and taking on powerful institutions on behalf of everyday Californians
“Together, we have accomplished a great deal this year to help California families get ahead and made historic progress on some of the state’s most intractable challenges.”
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom took his final actions of the 2019 legislative season today and thanked the Legislature for their work and accomplishment on enacting 870 bills in the following statement:
“I want to take a moment to congratulate the Legislature on their work this year and to thank Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon for their leadership. Together, we have accomplished a great deal this year – through the budget and legislation – that helps California families get ahead and tackles some of the state’s most intractable problems.
“This year, California passed the nation’s strongest renter protection package. Our state made record housing and homeless investments paired with big new tools for housing production. We moved California closer to universal health care coverage by expanding coverage, increasing Covered California subsidies for middle-income Californians and taking on rising prescription drug prices.
“California, faced with catastrophic wildfires, invested $1 billion to prevent, mitigate and recover from wildfires, disasters and emergencies. And in July, our state enacted something that few people thought could be done – wildfire legislation that moved California closer to a safer, reliable and affordable energy future.
“Our state is doing more now than at any point in our history to help California families tackle the challenges of affordability and provide opportunity to all Californians – more than doubling tax cuts for working families, expanding paid family leave, increasing access to early childhood education, and taking on payday lenders.
“On education, California brought disparate sides in the education community together and forged a historic agreement on changes to charter school law that was years in the making. We invested more in K-14 education than at any point in our history, and put on next year’s ballot the chance to make long-overdue investments in school infrastructure and safety. California made two years of community college tuition-free, increased financial aid for parents pursuing a college degree and kept tuition from rising in our UC and CSU systems.
“We have helped defend our state from Trump’s attacks – blocking the Administration from using state lands to open up drilling on protected federal lands. We took on the long-standing challenge of clean drinking water systems, became the first ever to require SMOG tests for semi trucks and convinced four major auto-makers to stand up for higher emission standards and oppose the Trump administration.
“California is once again striking out against injustice and leading the nation by example. We passed one of the country’s strongest police use-of-force laws, and outlawed private, for-profit prisons. California became the first state in the nation to stand up to the NCAA’s long-standing profiteering from student athletes. California took first-in-the-nation steps to strengthen our gun safety laws, protect workers and defend reproductive health care rights. We continued to make progress reforming our criminal justice system – eliminating a major mandatory minimum sentence and establishing a system to seal arrest and conviction records for low-level offenses.
“We are proving that our state is successful not despite our diversity, but because of it. California isn’t just defending our vibrant immigrant communities. We are affording all Californians – regardless of immigration status – the chance to serve their communities and give back.
“In California, we are putting in place new reforms of agencies that don’t serve the public as well as they should – pushing the DMV to join the 21st century, giving new authority to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to enforce wildfire safety standards, and recasting the priorities of our state’s agency that regulates oil and gas extraction.
“California did all of this while living within our means: creating the largest rainy day fund in California history, paying down pension liabilities and eliminating our state’s wall of debt.
“In my inaugural, I spoke of the California Dream as a house – one that must be built on a strong fiscal foundation. For that reason, I am returning a number of bills to the Legislature without my signature that would significantly increase costs outside of the state’s regular budget process.
“We have clearly achieved a great deal together, and I commend the Legislature for their hard work. I look forward to our continued partnership as we head into the new year and continue to tackle challenges of affordability and work to expand opportunity to all Californians.”
In his final action of the 2019 legislative season, the Governor today vetoed a number of bills that would significantly increase costs outside of the state’s regular budget process. In total, Governor Newsom vetoed bills this year costing $1.2 billion, increasing to $3 billion annually at full implementation. He also took action on a number of other bills.
SB906 Vetoed 2018
SB 906 Peer Cert. VETOED! Persistence is key!
SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
CAMHPRO
From Sally Zinman, Executive Director, CAMHPRO
Governor Brown has Vetoed SB 906. The consumer and larger mental health stakeholder community will pursue California state certification and, by all accounts, will have a better chance with a new Governor.
Persistence is the key to success, and essential to advocacy. Persistence and hope. We will have peer certification in California!
See the Governor’s veto message (below), which in my opinion, is not knowledgeable of the purpose or content of the bill.
Sally
Senator Jim Beall's response to SB906 veto 2018
September 29, 2018
SAN JOSE – Senator Jim Beall, chairman of the Senate’s Select Committee on Mental Health, issued this statement regarding Governor Brown’s veto of SB 906, legislation to institute statewide standards for peer providers specialists to expand support for people battling mental disorders or substance abuse through those who have experienced and conquered those same illnesses.
“Because of the Governor’s veto, California will continue to lag behind 48 other states that have already adopted state-certified programs to establish consistent standards of care and professionalism for peer providers. SB 906 would have created uniform best practices, specifications, and a code of ethics for peer provider specialists throughout the state, an action recommended by the federal government.
“Without a state certification program, counties have created their own certification programs that vary from county to county. As a result, peer provider specialists who are certified in one county are unable to serve people in a neighboring county unless they have passed a certification program there. Because of this, there are fewer peer providers available in rural counties. A state certified peer provider would be able to practice in all 58 counties.’’
2018 SB (906)
Govenor Brown Vetos SB 906 2018
To the Members of the California State Senate:
I am returning Senate Bill 906 without my signature.
This bill requires the Department of Health Care Services to establish a certificate program for peer support specialists in Medi-Cal.
Currently, peer support specialists are used as providers in Medi-Cal without a state certificate. This bill imposes a costly new program which will permit some of these individuals to continue providing services but shut others out. I urge the stakeholders and the department to improve upon the existing framework while allowing all peer support specialists to continue to work.
Sincerely,
Edmund G. Brown Jr.
CAMHPRO response to SB 906 veto 2018
SB 906 Peer Cert. VETOED! Persistence is key!
SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
CAMHPRO
From Sally Zinman, Executive Director, CAMHPRO
Governor Brown has Vetoed SB 906. The consumer and larger mental health stakeholder community will pursue California state certification and, by all accounts, will have a better chance with a new Governor.
Persistence is the key to success, and essential to advocacy. Persistence and hope. We will have peer certification in California!
See the Governor’s veto message (below), which in my opinion, is not knowledgeable of the purpose or content of the bill.
Sally
Senator Jim Beall's response to SB906 veto 2018
September 29, 2018
SAN JOSE – Senator Jim Beall, chairman of the Senate’s Select Committee on Mental Health, issued this statement regarding Governor Brown’s veto of SB 906, legislation to institute statewide standards for peer providers specialists to expand support for people battling mental disorders or substance abuse through those who have experienced and conquered those same illnesses.
“Because of the Governor’s veto, California will continue to lag behind 48 other states that have already adopted state-certified programs to establish consistent standards of care and professionalism for peer providers. SB 906 would have created uniform best practices, specifications, and a code of ethics for peer provider specialists throughout the state, an action recommended by the federal government.
“Without a state certification program, counties have created their own certification programs that vary from county to county. As a result, peer provider specialists who are certified in one county are unable to serve people in a neighboring county unless they have passed a certification program there. Because of this, there are fewer peer providers available in rural counties. A state certified peer provider would be able to practice in all 58 counties.’’
SB-906 Peer Certification
Gov Brown Vetoes SB 906 2018
To the Members of the California State Senate:
I am returning Senate Bill 906 without my signature.
This bill requires the Department of Health Care Services to establish a certificate program for peer support specialists in Medi-Cal.
Currently, peer support specialists are used as providers in Medi-Cal without a state certificate. This bill imposes a costly new program which will permit some of these individuals to continue providing services but shut others out. I urge the stakeholders and the department to improve upon the existing framework while allowing all peer support specialists to continue to work.
Sincerely,
Edmund G. Brown Jr.
Senator Jim Beall's response to SB906 veto 2018
September 29, 2018
SAN JOSE – Senator Jim Beall, chairman of the Senate’s Select Committee on Mental Health, issued this statement regarding Governor Brown’s veto of SB 906, legislation to institute statewide standards for peer providers specialists to expand support for people battling mental disorders or substance abuse through those who have experienced and conquered those same illnesses.
“Because of the Governor’s veto, California will continue to lag behind 48 other states that have already adopted state-certified programs to establish consistent standards of care and professionalism for peer providers. SB 906 would have created uniform best practices, specifications, and a code of ethics for peer provider specialists throughout the state, an action recommended by the federal government.
“Without a state certification program, counties have created their own certification programs that vary from county to county. As a result, peer provider specialists who are certified in one county are unable to serve people in a neighboring county unless they have passed a certification program there. Because of this, there are fewer peer providers available in rural counties. A state certified peer provider would be able to practice in all 58 counties.’’
CAMHPRO Resonse to SB906 Veto 2018
SB 906 Peer Cert. VETOED! Persistence is key!
SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
CAMHPRO
From Sally Zinman, Executive Director, CAMHPRO
Governor Brown has Vetoed SB 906. The consumer and larger mental health stakeholder community will pursue California state certification and, by all accounts, will have a better chance with a new Governor.
Persistence is the key to success, and essential to advocacy. Persistence and hope. We will have peer certification in California!
See the Governor’s veto message (below), which in my opinion, is not knowledgeable of the purpose or content of the bill.
Sally
SB 803 Gov Beall 2020
SACRAMENTO - Today, long-time mental health champion Senator Jim Beall introduced legislation SB 803 to create state certification for mental health care providers known as Peer Support Specialists. The Peer Support Specialist Certification Act of 2020 establishes a statewide certification program for peer support specialists and provides the structure needed to maximize the federal match for peer services under Medi-Cal.