The Emerging Role of Certified Peer Support Specialist

Addictions Professionals of North Carolina – Fall Conference

Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Ronald Mangum MA, LCASBehavioral Healthcare Resource Program

Jordan Institute for Families at UNC Chapel HillOctober 26, 2007

Agenda

• Introduction • Definition of Peer Support• META – Recovery Innovations• Peer Support, Recovery and possible benefits• History of Peer Support in North Carolina• Time Line for North Carolina• Peer Support Statistics for North Carolina• Approaches• Service Definitions• Flow Chart• Role Delineation Study• Executive Summary• Review of Check list for curriculum• PSSC Goals for 2008• Additional Information• Questions and Answers• Break• Worth

Definition of Peer Support

Peer Counselors ( Peer Support Specialist) are people who have experiencedemotional difficulties and are interested in helping others with similar difficulties,by listening empathetically, sharing their experiences and offering suggestions,peer counselors ( Peer Support Specialist) are uniquely able to help otherslike themselves. This approach assumes that individuals who have experienced a mental illnesscan better understand and relate to individuals trying to deal with their mental illness. Additionally, it promotes a wellness model which considers clients to be normal, as opposed to a medical model which considers clients to be sick. (Carter 2000).

Article titled : Peer Support “ working together to help each other to achieve harmonyhttp://www.mentalhealthconsumer.net/peer-support.html

META

• Arizona-based META Services follow this model and describe the key elements as follows:

1. Mutuality: Giving and receiving help and support with respect based on a shared experience.

2. Empathy: Understanding through the personal experience of having “been there”.

3. Engagement: Sharing personal recovery experiences. “If she/he can do it, so can I.”

4. Wellness: Focusing on each person’s strengths and wellness.

5. Friendship: Promoting recovery through relationship and friendship.

2701 N 16th Street  #316, Phoenix, AZ   85006 

                   v (602) 650-1212  f (602) 650-1616

Peer Support, recovery and possible benefits

• This model of formalized peer support neatly fits a recovery ethos and approach, as developed internationally over the last twenty years6, in the following ways:

1. They value the lived experience of recovery, powerfully demonstrating the principle that having experienced mental health problems need not necessarily be entirely negative.

2. They offer a chance for people with experience of mental health problems to contribute or ‘give back’, commonly identified as being helpful in promoting recovery.

3. They offer much needed training and employment opportunities for people who have experienced mental health problems.

4. They offer a supportive and well managed work environment for peer support workers and clients - both may have fluctuating levels of health and particular support needs.

5. They work around recovery planning methods using tools specifically designed to promote the recovery experience, for example, Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP)7 or the Strengths Model8.

6. They emphasize learning – both in their emphasis on training and self management skills.

7. Clients who opt to use one of these services should be prepared to actively engage in a recovery planning process.

8. Because many are newly developed projects they are based from the outset around the principles and values which have been described in the international literature as being helpful towards promoting recovery.

9. Through their very nature they provide a level of empathetic and therapeutic relationship between peer worker and client not always possible between peer and professional.

10. They can promote engagement with people who have shunned professionally led services. Complementing existing services with peer support could also offer new options to people who currently fall out with the remit of secondary mental health services.

The role and potential development of peer support services Scottish Recovery Network 2005

History of Peer Support – North Carolina

The NC Mental Health Consumers’ Organization (NCMHCO) was established in l989. It is a non-profit organization that was designed and is managed by primary consumers to offer information, advocacy and support to adults with mental illness. A sixteen member Board of Directors is elected by over six hundred members from each region to govern for two-year terms. NCMHCO is the only statewide organization that is one hundred percent consumer membership. All Board Members and Staff have in the past or continue to cope with mental health challenges. NCMHCO is special because it is “peer-run”, meaning all board members and staff have personal life experiences with mental illness. The organization is a support and advocacy agency that works on behalf of consumers across North Carolina. Peer support is a valuable addition to professional services. People with mental illness provide hope and support to others coping with the same challenges. People learn from others not only about coping skills but also about fostering hope. There are currently 52 local support groups affiliated with the NC Mental Health Consumers’ organization.

Time Line for North Carolina

• 1987 Initial – Talks and movement began in North Carolina

• September 16, 2006 – 1st Presentation @ North Carolina Empowerment Conference

• September 18, 2006 – Hiring for Clinical Instructor

• January 08-10, 2007 – Role Delineation Study

• September 14, 2007 – Curriculum

Peer Support and North Carolina

• Applied – 65 Substance Abuse__ Mental Health___

• Approved - 50

• Application review process – see handout

• Phone calls of inquiry – 5 – 10 per week

these numbers reflect results up to October 15, 2007

Approaches

• Paraprofessional – supervised by a professionally trained counselor

• Volunteer – workers who conduct peer support on an outreach basis

• Former clients – provide support to new clients• Peer tutors – provide individual living skills instructions• Workers – provide pertinent information on topics such

as housing, social services, transportation, recreational activities etc.

• Workers – who provide community networks and activities (Barker 1987)

Article titled : Peer Support “ working together to help each other to achieve harmonyhttp://www.mentalhealthconsumer.net/peer-support.html

Service Definitions CoveredMedicaid Billable Services

• Community Support – Adults (MH/SA) (Medicaid Billable Service)

• Assertive Community Treatment Team (Medicaid Billable Service)

• Social Setting Detox (Non-Hospital)

(Medicaid Billable Service)

http://www.ncdhhs.gov/mhddsas/servicedefinitions/servdef3-27-06rev.pdf

Certified Substance Abuse Counselor

(CSAC)

Certified Peer Support Specialist

6 months work experience as a Peer

Support Specialist

1 year clean and sober

Peer Support Specialist Training40 hours PSS &

20 hours additional

•3 years full time experience

•270 hours Board approved training

•Passing exam score

Recovery Based Employment PathProfessional Employment Path

Certified Clinical Supervisor

2 years supervision experience

& 30 hours education

Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist

(LCAS)

Masters Education +1 year supervised

work

Bachelor’s Degree

Certified SubstanceAbuse Counselor

(CSAC)

Role Delineation Study

• See handout

• Purpose

• Process

• Results

Executive Summary

• See handout

• Highlights of the

summary

Review of check list for curriculums

• See handout

• Intent of checklist

Peer Support Specialist Certification Goals for 2008

• Standard curriculums used to train Peer Support Specialist for North Carolina

• Continue to increase numbers of Certified Peer Support Specialist for North Carolina

• Develop a newsletter updating Certified Peer Support Specialist of pertinent information on a quarterly basis

More information on certification for Peer Support Specialist can be

found at:

http://bhrp.sowo.unc.edu/index.php?q=node/122

www.behavioralhealthcareinstitute.org/pss

Contact information:

Ron Mangum

rlmangum@email.unc.edu

919 843 7583Applications are available here for those interested

Questions and Comments

Break

• Thanks for your time and attention. We will now take a break with Worth Bolton presenting when we return.