Training
What is the email address used to contact the training coordinators, JeriAna and Yanina?
peertraining@westcoastcc.org
I missed a training session and need to make-up an assignment. What do I need to know?
Make- up requests must be approved by the training coordinators, submitted in writing 2 days prior to the deadline of an assignment/quiz, and may require additional documentation.
Make-up request are considered for medical grounds, family emergencies, and University approved events.
When did the Peer Support Movement emerge?
Late 1980s
What does the acronym PSS mean?
Peer Support Specilaist
What are culturally relevant services?
Culturally relevant services align with the cultural beliefs and practices of the people we serve
Where do all trainings take place?
Zoom
Name at least two protected characteristics, which are addressed in the anti- discrimination and anti- harassment policy.
The training program maintains a strict policy against discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
What role did Dorothea Dix and Clifford Beers play in advocacy during the Peer Support Movement?
Both individuals with personal experiences of mental illness. They played significant roles in advocating for humane treatment and community-based care for those with mental illness. Their advocacy was rooted in their own experiences and a commitment to social justice.
What are the four types of specializations for a PSS?
Parent, Caregiver and Family Member
Crisis Care (Prevention, Intervention, & Post- Crisis)
Uhoused
Justice Involved
Name two types of support a PSS can provide?
Emotional support, that listening ear, someone to talk to
Information to provide knowledge and education
Tangible support to support the completion of tasks or meet a need such as obtaining employment or housing, accessing healthcare
Support with building relationships building connections and community
Navigating systems
What days and times are you expected to be present for training?
Tuesdays- Thursdays 1-3pm
Fridays 1-2pm
I have a complaint or grievance. What do I need to do?
Try to address and resolve it with the individual first and if there is no resolution then...
Complaints must be submitted in writing, detailing the nature of the complaint, parties involved, and desired resolution; and will be acknowledged w/in 3 business days and a resolution provided within 10 business days
Name a similar model of peer support that may be found in the treatment of addictions?
Alcoholics Anonymous and its derivatives. These movements were often initiated by individuals in recovery who understood the value of mutual support.
What are the steps to becoming a Peer Support Specialist?
1. Complete PSS Training & receive a certificate of completion
2. Complete an application, pay the exam fees, and schedule an exam
3.Pass the exam
4. You're a Certified Peer Support Specialist?
What is a strength based approach?
Focuses on strengths (what a person can do) rather than deficits (what they can't) do? Strengths can be used through treatment to achieve recovery goals. It emphasizes strengths and capacities to resolve problems and create solutions.
You have a question that is NOT related to the training curriculum, materials, or attendance. Who should you contact?
Bryson Gauff
bryson.gauff@lacity.org
I require reasonable accommodations due to a disability that I live with. How I request accommodations relevant to my specific need?
Submit an accommodation request to the Program Coordinator. The request should be accompanied by relevant and appropriate documentation that verifies the participant's disability and outlines the specific accommodations being requested, such as a letter from a healthcare provider or other professional evaluation.
What role did Philippe Pinel play in the Peer Support Movement?
He's often credited with introducing moral treatment in asylums, actually documented the strategy of hiring convalescent patients as staff. This approach aimed to humanize the treatment of mental illness by providing dignity, respect, and kindness to inmates. These convalescent patients-turned-staff members were seen as uniquely qualified to provide care due to their firsthand experience and empathy.
Who is a Certified Peer Support Specialist?
An individual who is 18 years of age or older, who has self-identified as having lived experience with the process of recovery from mental illness, substance use disorder, or both, either as a consumer of these services or as a parent or family member of the consumer, and who has been granted certification under a county Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist certification program.
PSS services can be provided in which settings?
PSS services can be done in settings such as:
- peer run organizations
- recovery community center/ residences
- criminal justice settings
- homeless shelters
- behavioral health settings
How is participation evaluated in training session?
1. Present throughout the entire training.
2. Camera on
3. Participating in discussion by voice or using chat
4. Communicating needs to briefly go off of camera
I need to take of leave absence. How do I do this?
Participants may request a leave of absence from the training program due to extenuating circumstances or personal reasons. Leave of absence requests must be submitted in writing to the Training Coordinator least 14 days prior to the requested leave start date. The program administrator will review the request and communicate the decision to the participant within 5 days.
Name one form of support a PSS can provide to a peer using Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) model in order to empower the peer in their journey of recovery.
Incorporating elements of IMR, such as psychoeducation, coping skills development, and relapse prevention planning, can be valuable tools for peer specialists in supporting others on their recovery journey.
What California law makes it possible for certified peer support specialists services to be eligible for Medi-Cal reimbursement through county mental health plans and substance use disorder plans (behavioral health plans)?
Senate Bill 803
Name at least two benefits for peers who are receiving PSS services.
- Increased self- esteem and confidence
- Increased sense of control and ability to bring about change in their lives
- Rapid sense of empowerment
- Increased sense that treatment is responsive and inclusive of needs
- Increased sense of hope and inspiration
- Increased empathy and acceptance
- Decreased psychotic symptoms
- Increased engagement in self- care and wellness
- Reduced hospital admission rates and longer community tenure
- Increased social support
- Decreased substance use and depression