If you self identify as a person who has in the past or currently lives with a mental health challenge you are for the purposes of this council welcomed as a "peer" whether you have a mental health diagnosis or not.
If you are the family, friend or service provider of a person with mental health challenges you are welcome to participate as a mentor or ally.
You do not have to be trained as a Peer Support Specialist (PSS) to participate.
"Peer Support is not new. As long as there have been people on earth, they have come together around shared experience to learn from each other. In mental health we have added a more formal layer to peer support by making it a specific role that is often paid. This is where it may get confusing. In paid peer support you and I come together to learn from each other (like some friendships) but you (the paid peer support worker) actually need to practice a few things". (Importance of Skills training - Shery Mead)
California and South Dakota are the only two US States that do not have licencing requirements for Peer Support Specialists. In California there is currently a bill SB 803 (Beall )that is in deliberation
Working Well Together: Peer Certification in CA Report 2014 ( 102 pages)
We are not mini-clinicians. As peers, we are here to offer support, in as egalitarian way as possible. Traditional clinical, or “medical model” language has an element of one up, one down-ness that is judgmental, stigmatizing, creates a power differential, and puts one in a role of superiority. It may, at first, seem unnatural to use recovery language. But by making this shift, you will be doing everyone at your workplace a favor. You will be teaching others at work about mental health recovery, and speaking to and about your peers in a more respectful way. Here are some alternatives:
Recovery-Oriented Language
Clinical Terms Recovery Language
Decompensated……………………………………Not doing well
Manipulative………………………………………..Getting needs met, strategic
Non-compliant…………….……………………… Doesn’t want to
High functioning……………………………….....Doing well
Low functioning……………………………………Having difficulty
He’s a schizophrenic…………………………….He’s a person with schizophrenia
Mentally ill…………………………………………..Has a mental health challenge, has lived mental health experience
Unmotivated………………………………………..Doesn’t want to
Client, patient………………………………………Name, person I work with
Chronic………………………………………………..In recovery
Delusional……………………………………………Sees or hears things that others don’t
Provided to Peer Pilot courtesy of Kate Roberge, Program Manager, Peer Education & Outreach, Wellness and Advocacy Center 10/20.
Intentional Peer Support provides a powerful framework for creating relationships where both people learn and grow together... IPS is used across the world in community, peer support, and human services settings, and is a tool for community development with broad appeal to people from all walks of life.
"Peer Support is not new. As long as there have been people on earth, they have come together around shared experience to learn from each other. In mental health we have added a more formal layer to peer support by making it a specific role that is often paid. This is where it may get confusing. In paid peer support you and I come together to learn from each other (like some friendships) but you (the paid peer support worker) actually need to practice a few things". (Importance of Skills training)
“As peer support in mental health proliferates, we must be mindful of our intention: social change. It is not about developing more effective services, but rather about creating dialogues that have influence on all of our understandings, conversations, and relationships.” – Shery Mead, Founder of IPS
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3 Principles
4 Tasks
"When people are willing to listen to each others stories without providing analysis, and at the same time compare and contrast, experiences, possibilities for transfiguring meaning are endless. Wen we become part of each other's narratives, we not only offer possibility for alternate ( mutually enriching) interpretations, our new shared story becomes a new way to negotiate future challenges and crises while building real communities"
Shery Mead
At the end of the day, IPS is really about building stronger, healthier, interconnected communities.
The MHSA requires meaningful and ongoing stakeholder involvement in public mental health program planning, development, oversight, implementation, services delivery, and evaluation.
MHSA General Standards
9 CCR § 3200.050 “Client Driven” MHSA puts clients in the driver’s seat:
WIC § 5813.5(d) Planning for [MHSA-funded] services shall be consistent with the philosophy, principles, and practices of the Recovery Vision for mental health consumers:
9 CCR § 3200.120: “Integrated Service Experience”
Client, and when appropriate the client's family, accesses a full range of services provided by multiple agencies,programs and funding sources in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
Counties may allocate up to 5% of their total annual MHSA fund for the Community Program Planning Process (WIC § 5892(c); 9 CCR § 3300(d)).
Organizational mission is to:
If you would like to learn more about our Association here are some helpful media links:
United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives.
Worker cooperatives are values-driven businesses that put worker and community benefit at the core of their purpose. In contrast to traditional companies, worker members at worker cooperatives participate in the profits, oversight, and often management of the enterprise using democratic practices. The model has proven to be an effective tool for creating and maintaining sustainable, dignified jobs; generating wealth; improving the quality of life of workers; and promoting community and local economic development, particularly for people who lack access to business ownership or sustainable work options.
Worker Ownership ( 4 pages)
Starting a worker cooperative is an exciting and challenging endeavor!
Here's a few to-do's to get you started:
Additional start-up resources are available here.
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