Peer Recovery Presentation

Peer Recovery & The Wellness & Advocacy Center

Presented by,

Laura, Chelsea, & Erika

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Focus of our Group

Further exploring "Peer Recovery" and the Wellness & Advocacy Center

What is Peer Recovery?

"Having another person around you who can help you understand through their life that other people have been through it and you're not alone plays a huge role in shifting misperception (Interview, Fisher)."

Me "Are you in counseling/therapy?"

Student: "No, no, no.  I tried that, no way.  The run around and then they call the police because my language is harsh when I'm triggered"  "No way, tell me you how you feel, fuck you!"  I have a family, where I am not judged, I can go anywhere in the state and join a group and feel ok.  They're my relatives but not my family..."  

Who is served?

Drop-in open-door policy, casual, self-sign in.  

Front desk monitor.

18+ identifying themselves as having mental health issue/diagnoses

What services are offered?

Socializing (recovery through connection/conversation)

"It just looks like they're all standing around smoking cigarettes!"

Open Art Studio/Program (recovery through connection and art process)

"Our approach for the Art Program is to focus on process not on final product. Art is enjoyed by a vast number of people, but many people seem to have the idea that good art displays high technical skills. Art is not about the displaying of one's skills.

Our art room is an open-style studio, we do not do directed art projects unless someone really needs to have one because we respect that everyone´s creative moment is very personal. People have many different levels of exposure and understanding of art. We treat everyone on an individual basis. Our concept of fine art is very broad".

-naomi murakami / Art Director 

• Process not content, some instruction
• Art walls
• Art Shows
• Art Selling

http://wellnessandadvocacy.org/art.php

Career Center/Computer Lab (recovery through life skills, accessibility)

http://wellnessandadvocacy.org/computerlab.php

The wellness center has a computer lab that doubles as a career center:

• Staff assistance for looking up job applications, housing options or help them work on their resumes.  
• 8 computers  
• Spanish offered & Rosetta stone for Spanish/English
• Job postings board 
• Resource table  
• Another addition to the career center is a Resource Group, which covers housing, food, clothing and benefits!

Garden (connection, nature, garden process)

The garden is open to any members who want to use it.  They can have their own section of the garden if they want and they can plant whatever they like whether it be vegetables, plants, flowers or fruit.  

The garden can be something personal or communal and the members can take home whatever they grow for themselves.

Groups (peer therapeutic process, specific topics)

Advocacy & Peer Support

"Having walked in one's shoes"
Meetings, Public voice, and teaching self-advocacy through peer support groups.
Giving back, volunteering.

The issues?  

"Part of the recovery is society's recovery from placing so much discrimination and stigma on the person who's been labeled with mental illness.  It's hard to recruit peers as long as the stigma s so great; people don't want to step back in the system (Fisher, Interview).

• Policy, Is there a competency to working with people versus any person assigning themselves the task?

• Public/Political Voice

• Funding

• Where do we fit in this model, how can we be integrated into such services, and is there a blend of licensed therapy services and peer recovery models?  

• How can we use the empowerment of this model in our own practice?
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  FAQ’s for the Wellness and Advocacy Center
  
  
  What are the hours?
  10am-2pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri
  11am-3pm Wed
  
  Who can go?
  The Wellness center offers services to people in Sonoma County suffering with mental health challenges.  It operates as a self-help, drop in style center!  
  
  
  What is the cost?
  It does not cost anything to become a member; you simply do a 45-minute interview.
  http://wellnessandadvocacy.org/membership.php
  
  What services are provided?
  Counseling, art, career services, gardening/free time, music, group support
  
  
  Can I volunteer?
  Yes! We have a multitude of volunteer positions available; you can find them listed here:
  http://wellnessandadvocacy.org/volunteer.php
  
  Is there food? Yes, there is food available.
  
  Can I sign up for housing from the Center?
  Not directly, however there is Internet access and we can help you access applications via the Internet and find out who to contact.  We also have a resource group this October that can help facilitate you in finding information about housing!
  
  Can I sleep there? No, unfortunately we are not a residential facility.
  
  Is there exercise available?
  We offer a walk/stretch group everyday for 30 minutes.  We do not have any official facility for exercise, but walking and stretching are a great way to get in exercise and get your body moving!
  
  Do you do support groups? Yes we offer a variety of support groups! New in October we have a Benefits of Working Group, a Resource Group and a Health Education group!  We are adding new groups all the time.  Visit our Group Website for more information: http://wellnessandadvocacy.org/files/Groups.pdf
  
  
  Do you have other resources available? Yes! We have a lot of resources for other facilities and access to health information
  
  
  Why are your hours so short? 
  Mainly funding and to give more presence/quality 
  
  
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  LOCAL PEER RECOERY MODELS
  
  
  Peer-Run Organizations – Sonoma County
  Wellness & Advocacy Center:
  Free, self-help, peer-run program at 3400 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa
  Highlights of the program include: Art Program, Organic Garden, Career Services, Music, Movies, Monthly Groups, and Computer Lab. Mission Statement: “Together, we are moving toward mental health recovery in a sage, non-judgmental peer community.”
  www.wellnessandadvocacy.org
  Petaluma Peer Recovery Project:
  A volunteer-run program funded by Sonoma County Behavioral Health Division located at 1360 North McDowell Blvd, Petaluma.
  Highlights include: support and activity groups, one-on-one peer support (Spanish and English), and information and referral to other community resources.
  Open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10 am – 3pm
  https://www.gire.org/filelibrary/PetalumaPeerRecoveryProject.pdf  
  Russian River Empowerment Center:
  Self-help, drop-in center for people who identify as having mental health challenges. Highlights include: groups, field trips, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and resource referrals
  http://cfsa-sonoma.org/
  Corinne Camp Action Network, CCAN:
  Peer-Run advocacy and resource network that promotes the empowerment of mental health consumers in Sonoma County. Current projects include: reaching out to diverse groups of people in Sonoma County, educating the community and reducing stigma through their Speaker’s Bureau, and a proposal for a Friendship Line (anyone can call and talk in order to receive support)
  www.ccansonomacounty.org
  National Empowerment Center:
  NEC is a consultation resource for consumer-run organizations. They keep an updated list of consumer-run organization and advocacy groups in all 50 states. Staff provides nation-wide training, lectures, and resources based recovery, empowerment, advocacy, and self-help. The center focuses on shifting our current mental-health system to include more recovery-oriented and consumer- and family-driven approaches.
  NEC has a toll-free information and referral line: 800-POWER2U (800-769-3728)
  http://www.power2u.org/crisis-alternatives.html