FOR WORKING PEER SPECIALISTS NYU KIMMEL CENTER H JULY 14, 2016 Conference Overview H ow do people celebrate significant milestones? Often, we look back to acknowledge where we came from and celebrate the achievements we have made to get to where we are now – the WOW! Ten years ago at a conference for working peer specialists about 10% of our audience were working as peer specialists. The vision for how peers could change the behavioral health workplace, the vision for the impact peers could make in the progress of recovery-oriented services, was then almost a dream. Much had been done – 10 years later the vast majority our audience is working. What an achievement! Your employers – often traditional behavioral health organizations – have supported you by acknowledging your unique role and encouraging your professional development. This, too is a huge achievement. No one can deny that we have arrived. Yet we still live and work in a world where stigma is prevalent, and people who have a mental illness fall victim to ignorance and intolerance. There is much more work to do. Let’s celebrate our history and the progress we have made, while we plan for other achievements to be won. Welcome to the 10th Anniversary Conference for NYC Working Peer Specialists and thank you for your diligence, knowledge, and deep felt desire to help all we serve build a better future, gain greater independence, and live with dignity. “Then, Now, WOW!” Conference Planning Committee Conference Location • New York State Office of Mental Health Bureau of Recipient Affairs This conference will be held at: New York University – Kimmel Center 60 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012 • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Mental Health, Office of Rehabilitation Programs • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Consumer Affairs, Division of Mental Hygiene Conference Date • Baltic Street AEH, Inc. Thursday, July 14, 2016 • The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies: The Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery • Howie The Harp Advocacy Center, a program of Community Access, Inc. Who Should Attend This conference has been specifically designed for: • Peer Specialists • Peer Counselors • New York City Health + Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health • Peer Advocates • Peer Recovery Facilitators • New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) • Peer Bridgers • Advocacy Consultation Services • YOUTH POWER! We wish to thank the New York University Silver School of Social Work for their continued support in hosting the conference. 2 Welcoming Speakers Celia Brown Carlton Whitmore Regional Advocacy Specialist, Bureau of Recipient Affairs, NYC Field Office, New York State Office of Mental Health Director of The Office of Consumer Affairs, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Mental Hygiene Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D. Lynn Videka, Ph.D. Commissioner, New York State Office of Mental Health Dean, NYU Silver School of Social Work Gary Belkin Executive Deputy Commissioner New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Plenary Session Panel Keris Jän Myrick Peter Stastny, M.D. Director, Office of Consumer Affairs SAMHSA/CMHS Private Practice Laverne Miller Peter Ashenden, Moderator Co-Director, Policy Research Associates, Inc Director of Consumer and Family Affairs, Optum Behavioral Solutions Celia Brown Regional Advocacy Specialist, Bureau of Recipient Affairs, NYC Field Office, New York State Office of Mental Health 3 Program Agenda • Workshops • • • Program Agenda 8:15AM • Doors Open for Registration Thursday, July 14, 2016 9:30-10:40 AM • Panel: Then, Now, WOW! Today, we are not only celebrating 10 years of the NYC Conference for Working Peer Specialists, we are also honoring the current Peer workforce and the strides we have made. Peers have always played an important role in systems’ change. Our panelists will share their histories as change agents and convey their vision for the future. 9:00-9:10 AM • • Lavender Light Choir singing Seasons of Love Seasons of Love, from the musical Rent, asks what is the proper way to measure the value of a “year in a life.” • Keris Jän Myrick Director, Office of Consumer Affairs, SAMHSA/CMHS We chose it to open our 10th anniversary conference as a way to honor the passage of time, what we have achieved as a group and what you all have achieved in your lives. The chorus says that the most effective way is to "measure in love". • • • • When Lavender Light was formed in 1985 it was only lesbian and gay gospel choir in the world. Through their performances and recordings, they seek to uplift, entertain and educate. They strive to be a visible force in this world, offering strength, peace and hope to their members and to their audiences. • • 9:15-9:30 AM • Welcomes • Celia Brown Regional Advocacy Specialist, Bureau of Recipient Affairs, NYC Field Office, New York State Office of Mental Health • Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D. Gary Belkin Executive Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene • Carlton Whitmore Peter Ashenden, Panel Moderator, Director of Consumer and Family Affairs, Optum Behavioral Solutions 10:45-12:15 PM • Morning Workshops – 90 minutes Resource Room is Open 12:15-1:00 PM • Lunch and/or Resource Room 1:00-2:00 PM Stand Up for Mental Health David founded Stand Up For Mental Health, a program teaching stand-up comedy to people with mental illness, as a way of building self-esteem and fighting public stigma. Stand Up For Mental Health has groups across Canada and the U.S. Director of The Office of Consumer Affairs, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Mental Hygiene • • David Granirer is a counselor, stand-up comic, mental health keynote speaker and author of the Happy Neurotic and How Fear and Angst Can Lead To Happiness and Success. He performs, maintains a counseling practice and teaches Stand-Up Comedy Clinic at Langara College in Vancouver, where he takes people from all walks of life who have had a secret desire to do stand-up comedy and after eight weeks has them performing at a comedy club. Commissioner, New York State Office of Mental Health • Peter Stastny, M.D. Private Practice Celia Brown Regional Advocacy Specialist, Bureau of Recipient Affairs, NYC Field Office, New York State Office of Mental Health We bring you this conference with love. • Laverne Miller Co-Director, Policy Research Associates, Inc Lynn Videka, Ph.D. Dean, NYU Silver School of Social Work • • 4 Today’s comedians are: Angela Cerio Sara Goodman Jonathan Edwards Jeffery McQueen Gita Enders Digna Quinones Laurie Vite Dennis Whetzel 2:15-3:45 PM • Afternoon Workshops – 90 minutes 4:00-5:00 PM • Reception Morning Workshops • • Morning and Afternoon Conference Workshops 2016 Workshop Note: Today there are three opportunities to learn about Managed Care and to give your feedback. In the morning The Building Blocks of Medicaid Redesign in New York is an educational workshop on Managed Care. Also in the morning, A Consumer Led System Transformation Role within Managed Care is one consumer’s experience working in Managed Care. In the afternoon, The Transition to Medicaid Managed Care is a Round Table discussion where you can give your feed back regarding the New York State transition to Managed Care and in particular to Home and Community Based Services (HCBS). • Hearing Voices Group Developer Lori Larson, Respite Crisis Counselor, Peer Kassandra Whittaker Morning Workshops Respite Crisis Counselor, Peer Community Access, Crisis Respite Center The Building Blocks of Medicaid Redesign in New York • This workshop will explain the massive changes that are underway in New York State’s Medicaid system. We will review why the system is changing and explore Managed Care, the behavioral health carve-in and Health Homes for Care Coordination. The workshop will also give information on HARP (Health and Recovery Plans) and HCBS (Home and Community Based Services). Secrecy is often the hallmark of trauma. We avoid exposing others to our most intimate truths for fear of being judged, blamed or ignored. Presenters will reflect on work currently being done in the Community Access Crisis Respite to establish a safe space for those seeking to make meaning of their voices and visions. Using Advocacy to Create a Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health System: Developing the Skills to Create Change! Leslie Nelson, Peer Specialist, Visiting Nurse Service of New York—Parachute NATM Treatment Team A Consumer-Led System Transformation Role within Managed Care Teena Brooks, LMSW, Assistant Director, Department David Fuller Beth Mangiaracina, Statewide Trainer, Mental Health of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Consumer Affairs, Division of Mental Hygiene Member Education Specialist, Beacon Health Options • Voicing our Secrets: Exploring Trauma and Voice Hearing Tami Gatta, MA, RDT, LCAT, Peer Amanda Saake, LMSW, CPRP Sr. Program Associate, The Center for Rehabilitation & Recovery, The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc. • This workshop will discuss supervisory structure and communication between Peers and an agency’s leadership during times of change. We will look at the change process; offer techniques for preparing for change and present suggestions on how to manage uncertainty for Certified Peer Specialists. Participants will learn best practices for implementing change within their organizations and be empowered to be a positive force in driving change. Empowerment Project, Inc. This presentation will discuss one consumer’s experience working on system transformation, inside a Managed Care company, since the Oct 1, 2015 inception of HARP and Home and Community Based Services. Participants will also learn about present and future opportunities for Peer Specialists in Managed Care. • “The Times They are A-Changin”: Supporting Peer Staff Through Uncertain Times Malika Mohamedi Program Director, Peer Advocacy Leadership Program Adrienne Wolfe, Peer Advocate Nilamon Santos, Peer Advocate Tommy Radman, Peer Advocate Jenne Tine, LCSW This workshop will use a toolkit developed by the Mental Health Empowerment Project to give participants strategies for assessing if their agency is trauma-informed and engage in grassroots systems advocacy to promote the implementation of trauma-informed approaches. Strategies for Peer Career Development Jessica Wolf, Ph.D., Principal, Decision Solutions Fairfield CT Elizabeth Breier, MA, Director of Wellness Centers Administration, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Freehold NJ While educational credentials are essential for career progress, no peer certification program currently offers academic credit. Presenters will describe key current educational options for certified peers to obtain academic credit as well as credentials such as CPRP. We will brainstorm specific individual educational opportunities and peer career development strategies. Sr. Vice President of Behavioral Health Services Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. 5 Morning Workshops • • Let’s Talk About Suicide Ellen Pendegar, CEO, MHA Ulster Carrie Ruby-Geiger, Manager Reach One Ulster and Todd French, Statewide Trainer, Peer Ambassador, Dutchess County, PEOPLE Inc. Mental Health Empowerment Project, Inc. Denise Ranaghan, MHA Ulster, Director of Wellness • Anthony Shaw, Certified Peer Advocate, Peer Ambassador, Odyssey House This workshop will outline the considerations and subsequent steps MHA and PEOPLE Inc. took to start a peer led support group for persons who have thoughts of suicide, made suicide attempts and/or suicidal impulses. Participants will learn the specific contacts that were made to prepare for the group, issues discussed before the group started and challenges faced as the group developed and changed. Participants will learn the similarities and differences between peer and professional philosophies and approaches. Let’s Talk About It— Trauma and Stigma in Youth • Kristina M. Hebner-Akbar, Assistant Director, YOUTH POWER! This workshop will focus on the experiences of two peer ambassadors from the mental health and substance use disorder systems. Both are working to ensure the integration of authentic peer-to-peer services in New York State through community education. Participants will learn about the work of BRSS TACS, a collaborative project between the New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, The NYS Office of Mental Health, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We will also explore the challenges and opportunities peers face as a developing workforce. The Role of Peers in the Criminal Justice System Laquisha Grant Tiara Love-Springer, Youth Advocate Coordinator, Families on the Move • Creating Tomorrow’s Behavioral Health Peer Workforce: What does it take? A Cross-Systems Perspective Program Administrator, New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, Task Force on Behavioral Health in the Criminal Justice System Youth and Young Adults are commonly impacted by trauma and stigma when dealing with a mental health diagnosis. Presenters will talk about how to use trauma-informed practices to engage young people in their services while resisting re-traumatization and combating stigma. Participants will learn skills in trauma-informed practices, how young people encounter stigma and what they can do to assist them in combating stigma. Stacey Hamilton Work Readiness/Peer Advocate Instructor-FedCap Supervision and Peers: Opportunity for Paradigm Shift Jonathan P. Edwards, LMSW, ACSW, ABD, Program Consultant, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care, & Treatment, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene • Gita Enders, MA, CPRP Assistant Director, Consumer Affairs Coordinator NYC Health + Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health The City’s action plan outlines a comprehensive blueprint to continue to drive down crime while also reducing the number of people with behavioral health issues who cycle through the criminal justice system. The Task Force identified five major points of contact (Pre-Arrest, Arrest to Disposition, Inside Jail, Release and Reentry, Back in the Community) and identified strategies for each. One year later we seek to further incorporate peer services and support into each of the 5 stages. Peer services in the criminal justice system has great potential but is currently underdeveloped. Activation: the “Secret Sauce” to Promote Recovery and Wellness Peter Ashenden, Director of Consumer and Family Imagine supervision as an opportunity for peers to demonstrate a strengths-based approach gleaned from their personal experience? This workshop will provide participants with key definitions and tools to strengthen their knowledge of and stake in supervision. Peers will be better equipped to become more involved in their own supervision, which can be both exciting and empowering. The developmental model will be used as a framework to enable peers to explore their growth in the supervisory process and relationship. Affairs, Optum Behavioral Solutions Barbara Tedesco, Recovery and Resiliency Manager, United Healthcare People diagnosed with mental illness get a bad rap on moving toward personal goals. Although many people who deal with symptoms of mental illness do have difficulty moving toward and achieving lasting change, it is really a human being issue as opposed to a mental illness issue. Although symptoms of mental illness can make it more difficult, change is difficult for all. This workshop will look at the art and science of activation. 6 Afternoon Roundtable Workshops • • To Infinity and Beyond - The Current and Future Peer Workforce Keris Jän Myrick, Director, Office of Consumer Affairs, Lynnae Brown, Director, Howie The Harp Advocacy SAMHSA/CMHS Center, a program of Community Access With the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid expansion and substance use services, the U.S. health care system is undergoing a transformation toward a more integrated, person-centered model of treatment, services and supports. Peer providers' roles and scope are expected to expand to meet the demands created by ACA's emphasis on the integration of primary and behavioral health. There will a need for more peers and new roles within the peer workforce. Laura Fafoutis, Coordinator Employment and Career Services, Howie The Harp Advocacy Center, a program of Community Access Sarah Brown, Training Specialist, Howie The Harp Advocacy Center, a program of Community Access SAMHSA Bringing Recovery to Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) brought together a diverse group of key peer recovery and behavioral health stakeholders, educators, researchers and others to help draft the framework for a national set of peer core competencies. This workshop will explore the state of the field for the peer workforce and explore future challenges and opportunities. • Over the past 20 years Howie the Harp Advocacy Center has trained hundreds of working peer specialists in the New York City area. As a peer-run program they have experimented with various practice, policies and guidelines to create a functional and nurturing environment for students and staff. This workshop will present the most effective practices that Howie The Harp Advocacy Center has adopted. How the Mindfulness Activities at the Sterling Community Center Provides the Foundation for Trauma-Informed Care and Whole Health and Wellness Robert Litwak, LMSW, Recovery Specialist Afternoon Workshops • Trauma-Informed Practice @ Work: How to Create a Safe Space to Learn and Grow Relda Hill, MA, Peer Specialist Intern Roundtable Nancy Kardon, Iyengar Yoga Studio The Transition to Medicaid Managed Care Sterling Community Center, MHA of Westchester Yumiko Ikuta, Director of Rehabilitation, Bureau of Mental Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene This workshop is based on the Peer Operated Center of the Sterling Community Center. Participants will experience the beneficial aspects of mindfulness through a mini yoga experience and body scan meditation. Kay Bellor, Director of the Regional Planning Consortium, Bureau of Systems Strengthening and Access, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene This roundtable will be a dialogue about the transition to Medicaid Managed Care and particularly Home and Community Based Peer Support Services. The discussion will focus on learning from working Peer Specialists who are providing this billable service on the ground on what is working and what is not working. The topics will range from documentation including assessments and Individual Service Plans to billing and collaboration with care managers and managed care companies. The goal is to brainstorm ideas which may solve some major issues so they can be proposed to the government agency process and policy decision makers which include NYS Dept. of Health, NYS Office of Mental Health, NYS Office of Alcohol & Substance Abuse Services and the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. • Participants will learn the importance of the use of lived experience as a major contributing factor in Trauma-Informed Care. Additionally, participants will learn to use specific tools of Self Care to reduce secondary stress/compassion fatigue and “burnout” among peer staff. Managing Conflicts as a Working Peer Dan Berstein, MHS, MH Mediate Peers encounter many conflicts because mental health is confusing and because they engage with diverse peers, supporters and professionals—all living with their own unique points of view. Conflicts can be related to living together, working together, or making mental health decisions, amongst other topics. This workshop helps to define and teach conflict resolution skills for managing conflicts as a working peer. 7 Afternoon Roundtable Workshops • • Peers and Psychiatrists: Turning It Over Gita Enders, MA, CPRP, Assistant Director| Consumer Affairs Coordinator NYC Health + Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health Tracy Puglisi, Coordinator of Peer Recovery and Wellness Education, Association of Mental Health and Wellness Angela Cerio, CPRP, Peer Advocacy Specialist Sara Goodman, CPRP, Chief Operating Officer, Lorraine McMullin, Lead Trainer, McMullin Trainers Baltic Street AEH, Inc. Mustafah Davis, Forensic Peer Specialist Scott M. McDonald, CPS, Peer Specialist, Next George Badillo, Mental Health Advocate Step/ACE Program, Project Renewal, Inc. Jaclyn Lawler, Parent/Advocate, Brain Management Trainer Leslie Nelson, Peer Specialist, Visiting Nurse Service Peer parents will share information about their personal experience and knowledge they have acquired. Participants will learn how to talk with peers about discrimination that confronts peer parents in New York State and the multiple systems that interact with families. Participants will learn about peers’ parenting to useful resources. of New York—Parachute NATM Treatment Team Ajay Goyal, MD, Public Psychiatry Fellowship of Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute • In this groundbreaking project Public Psychiatry Fellows are paired with an experienced peer specialist who, as peer Advisor, provides one hour of individual supervision per month to the Fellow. These Peer/Fellow meetings are organized around topics selected by the Peer Advisors and range from the use of self, to coercive treatment, free discussion of recovery-oriented practice is encouraged. Participants will learn and appreciate how turning the doctor/patient relationship upside down creates a unique experience for psychiatrists and peer advisors. • Roundtable Maintaining the Integrity of Peer ServicesWhat will it take? A Cross-Systems Roundtable Discussion The promise of peer services is enormous, but the challenges in maintaining the integrity of the peer support role are many. Co-optation and role confusion/ misappropriation are a real risk to peers first entering the field. Good models of program design and supervision are needed. Billing savvy with 822 regulations and new HCBS services are another critical challenge. Peer and providers in both systems must work together ensure the successful integration of peer services. Using the Full Potential of Psychiatric Advanced Directives John A. Gresham, Staff Attorney, Disability Rights New York, Brooklyn Office Nina Loewenstein, Senior Staff Attorney, DRNY Albany • Diverse Parenting Roles of Peers in New York State Presenters aim to increase the understanding and use of psychiatric advance directives (PADs). They will discuss why (PADs) are not widely used and what support presenters believe would help people make sue of these important, empowering documents. Among their many benefits, PADs can inform treatment providers about what has worked well in the past in the individual’s experience. The document can be used to inform hospitals on what the individual knows will help calm him/her down when s/he is upset, to reduce the use of seclusion, restraint or emergency medication. Susan Brandau, Director, Bureau of Recovery, NYS OASAS Monique Wright, M.Ed. Harm Reduction Educator, Bureau of Alcohol & Drug Use Prevention, Care & Treatment, NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Lureen McNeil, MBA, Program Manager 4, Bureau of Recovery Services, NYS OASAS Amy Colesante, Executive Director, Mental Health Empowerment Project Joe Swinford, Office of Consumer Affairs, NYS Office of Mental Health Harnessing Hip Hop Mary C. Callahan, LCSW-R, Senior Manager, Director of Outpatient Services Odyssey House, Inc. Alexander Frisina, Long Island Regional Youth Partner, Youth Power! Paige Pierce, CEO of Families Together in New York State Presenter will offer an alternative way to connect with Youth and Young Adults using Hip Hop. Young people often have a strong connection towards the stories told in music and hip hop can be a viable tool while working towards recovery. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of using Hip Hop as a Coping Skill and an outlet to connect with positive natural supports. Maria Morris-Groves MSEd. Adolescent, Women and Children’s Services, NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) Moderator: Teena Brooks, LMSW, Assistant Director, • 8 Office of Consumer Affairs, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Mental Hygiene 4:00-5:00 PM • Reception Conference Registration How to Accommodations To register for this FREE full day conference, you may register online, by mail or fax. • Register online at: www.coalitionny.org/the_center The Kimmel Center is wheelchair accessible. Lunch Lunch is provided at no cost to all participants. • Register by mail to: The New York State Office of Mental Health Attn: Deborah Mizell 330 Fifth Avenue, 9th fl., New York, NY 10001 Transportation By Subway • Register by FAX: 212-330-6359 • Information: 212-330-6352 or e-mail: nypeer@omh.ny.gov • Take the Lexington Avenue subway (No. 6 train) to Astor Place Station. Go west on Astor Place to Broadway. Walk south on Broadway to Waverly Place. Walk westward on Waverly Place until you reach Washington Square. Location This conference will be held at New York University Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012 • Take the Broadway subway (N, or R train) to Eighth Street Station. At Broadway walk south to Waverly Place. Walk westward on Waverly Place until you reach Washington Square. Confirmation To confirm your registration for the conference, a registration acceptance will be emailed to you whether you registered online or or by fax. You must bring your printed confirmation the day of the conference. • Take the Sixth Avenue subway to West Fourth StreetWashington Square Station (A, C, E, B, D, F, or M train). Walk east on West Fourth Street until you reach Washington Square. • Take the Seventh Avenue subway #1 to Christopher Street-Sheridan Square Station. Walk east on Christopher Street to West Fourth Street. Continue east to Washington Square. Cancellation To cancel, so others may attend, please e-mail: nypeer@omh.ny.gov We will maintain a waiting list. ✄ Registration Form (PLEASE PRINT. Register online, mail or fax completed registration form to the address listed above.) Name: Title: Phone-Work: Organization: ( ) FAX: ( ) E-Mail: Mailing Address: City: State: Zip: Mail Registration or Fax: New York State Office of Mental Health Attn: Deborah Mizell, 9th Fl. 330 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001 Online: www.coalitionny.org/the_center TEL. 212-330-6352 FAX: 212-330-6359 10th Anniversary materials designed by PSCH, Inc. Communications Dept.