Community Counseling Solutions Inc.
David Romprey Oregon Warmline and
Intentional Peer Support (IPS)
by Shery Mead
Angel Prater
503-319-6671
chooserecovery@yahoo.com
Angel@letsbridgetogether.com
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Is all Peer Support the same?

There are many different kinds of peer
support and ways to practice peer
support.

Different ways of “doing” peer support
bring about different outcomes.
2
Intentional Peer Support asks:
What are we here to do?
Not
What are we here to stop?
3
What Is Intentional Peer
Support?
IPS is a purposeful way of being in
relationship.

It requires deep self-reflection (What’s my
agenda? What’s my assumption/bias?)

Curiosity and openness (How do you
understand things? Honor other’s beliefs.)

Expectation of learning from each other (We
both have much to learn, rather than I’m here to
help you.)
4
Intentional Peer Support is also…

Purposefully focusing on Communication
and Relationship.

Support and Help go both ways in a mutual
reciprocal relationship.

Both individuals learn and grow.

Each person is the ‘expert’ about themselves
and together, in an IPS relationship, a new
‘story’ is created.
5
Traditional Crisis Response

Crisis Stabilization = Moving Away from
what you don’t want

Crisis Respite = Resting

Keeping people safe = Coercion

Skills to cope = Dealing with & maintaining
status quo.

Problem Solving = Directing and advising
6
How can we change what we’re
currently doing?
Change our Fear Based conversations
to conversations that are Hope Based
Fear Based = Moving Away from
what we don’t want.
Hope Based = Moving Toward what
we do want!
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Fear-Based Response vs..
Hope- Based Response
When we’re afraid we want to contain or control the
situation. We want things to feel comfortable.

When we respond out of fear we take power.

Fear is sometimes generated by outside forces and
stories (such as by our community).

A hope-based response means that you and the other
person see an opportunity to learn and grow.

A hope-based response is contingent on both people’s
needs
8
Learning Vs Help
Assuming we are there to help assumes
there is a problem (disconnect)
 Sometimes we “help” based on our own
experience with help (worldview)
 Co-learning does not assume that either
one is there to teach (mutuality)
 An emphasis on learning assumes growth
(moving towards)

9
The 4 Tasks
1. Connection
2. Worldview
3. Mutuality
4. Moving Toward
10
Overview of IPS training

Module 1

◦ Working in challenging
situations
◦ Self care
◦ Learning vs. helping
◦ The 4 tasks overview

Module 2
◦ Worldview
◦ Listening differently


Module 5
◦ Co-supervision
◦ Final projects
Module 3
◦ Trauma informed peer
support
◦ Mutual responsibility
Module 4

Module 6 (Oregon)
◦ Consumer/survivor/ex-patient
Movement
◦ Charting Progress Notes
◦ Confidentiality & HIPAA
◦ Reporting Abuse & Neglect
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Connection
• Authenticity
• Paying Attention
• Honesty
• Trust
12
Connection
• A sense of belonging
• We’re in it together
• Builds trust which leads to learning
for both people
• Moves the focus away from the
individual and into the relationship
13
13 Disconnects
Ordering, directing
Agreeing, approving, praising
Cautioning
Over relating
Wanting to make a difference
Interpreting or analyzing
Arguing or lecturing
Reassuring or sympathizing
Telling people what they should
do; moralizing
Questioning or probing
Being unaware of your power
Withdrawing, joking or changing
the subject
Steering the conversation, or
pushing your own agenda
14
WORLDVIEW
Told Story: Icing
What is said/seen= Truth
15
WORLDVIEW
Untold Story:
Cake Ingredients Contributors =Truth
•Ethnicity
•Birth-order
•Religion
•Culture etc.
16
Mutuality: Re-defining help

Learning and growing together

Moving away from a “service” type
relationship

It is only working if it is working for both
of us
17
Doing Mutual Responsibility
The relationship
Shared
Responsibility
You
Me
18
Moving Towards

When we’re moving away from we’re
focusing on problems

When we’re moving towards, we’re
creating what we want
19
Who is using IPS?


Oregon-IPS is unique to other trainings in
Oregon and has been trained in at least 28
Oregon counties for various positions. Many
have adapted IPS as their leading training for
Peers as well as many traditional service
staff.
For instance Clackamas County has trained
many of their community members and
clinical staff because it is known as a useful
tool of communication in various areas of
ones life (personal and professional).
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People all over Oregon using IPS!!
IPS
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Who is using IPS? (Cont)
To name a few of the areas IPS is used in PDS are:

All employees of the David Romprey Oregon Warmline

Deschutes County- Hospital emergency rooms, peers centers and Warmline

GOBHI region in various areas of PDS including but not limited to Warmline

Telecare Corporation all crisis program staff

Drop in centers

WVP Health Authority Clinical staff and Peer Providers

All IRON TRIBE members

Portland State University Students

NAMI members

Crisis respite centers

Youth programs (youngest trained thus far in Oregon is 13 years old)

Senior programs

Veterans Programs

Faith based community programs

Homeless and low income programs

Addictions treatment programs

Correctional programs

And more…
22
Uses of IPS outside of Oregon
IPS is used in at least 20 + US states and
is a leading National and International
recognized training. It has been trained in
China, New Zealand, Australia, Canada
and Japan to name a few.
 It has been used to help the United
Nations communicate and move towards
what they want. This is a perfect
demonstration of how universal it is.

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Questions
Angel Prater
503-319-6671
www.communitycounselingsolutions.org
www.letsbridgetogether.org
chooserecovery@yahoo.com
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