Explanations
What is the Code of Ethics?
A specific set of expectations/guidelines that a California certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists in California must agree with and follow. The Code of Ethics guides the peer’s work.
What's the difference between sympathy and empathy?
Sympathy is acknowledging the emotions someone is experiencing without any further connection.
Empathy goes deeper than sympathy. It involves understanding how a person feels from their perspective and experiencing similar emotions alongside them. Empathy is putting yourself in their shoes and feeling what they are experiencing.
Define cultural humility
Cultural humility is an ongoing and life long process of the following: being aware and acknowledging how our background and social positions impact our interactions with others, gain a deeper understanding of cultural differences, and acknowledge/recognize that we will never know everything about one's culture
Provide an example of intersecting identities
Intersectionality is the concept that describes how different social identities, like race, gender, class, and sexuality, overlap and interact to create unique experiences of discrimination or privilege.
Examples:
A man living with a disability
An Latina woman
A Black gay man
List the levels of advocacy
Systems, community, organizational, families and individuals.
What it the purpose of medically assisted treatment (MAT)?
MAT is a form of treatment. It is medications that are used in to treat substance use disorders. It can address the symptoms that are associated with withdrawal from substances, decrease cravings, and support brain restoration of brain functioning. Examples of MAT treatments include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.
What's the difference between the recovery model and the medical model?
Recovery-oriented values emphasize personal empowerment, hope, and resilience, whereas the medical model focuses on symptom management and clinical intervention.
Define holistic
An approach that considers the whole person rather than just its individual components. It includes physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual well-being, rather than just treating specific symptoms or conditions.
Provide an example of a dual relationship
Situations in which the provider has multiple relationships with a client outside of their professional relationship.
Examples:
Being friends with your client
Your client is a family member
Name the 4 dimensions of recovery
Health, home, purpose, community
What does DSM 5 stand for? What is the purpose of the DSM 5?
DSM 5 is an acronym for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM is a manual that guides the assessment and diagnosis of mental health and substance use disorders. The DSM provides descriptions and criteria for varying disorders. The fifth edition is the most recent updated version of the DSM.
What's the difference between burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and secondary trauma?
Burnout is emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by chronic stress often influence by job or personal matters.
Compassion fatigue is the emotional, physical, and spiritual distress from being continuously exposed to others' trauma.
Vicarious trauma happens when you witnessing others' trauma and it begins to change your worldview and you experience symptoms similar to post traumatic stress due to repeated exposure to trauma.
Secondary trauma is when providers experiencing trauma-related symptoms from witnessing others' trauma
Define "Seeking out common ground"
Common ground is a topic or interest that people can agree on, helping to bring them together even if they disagree on other things.
Provide and example of harm reduction
Harm reduction is philosophy and set of strategies aimed at reducing the negative harms associated with drug use and other high-risk behaviors by using safer practices without necessarily requiring individuals to stop these behaviors.
Examples:
Needle Exchange
Birth Control
Sunscreen
List the 10 principles of recovery
hope, person driven, many pathways, holistic, peer support, relational, culture, addresses trauma, strengths, responsibility, respect
What is 42 CFR Part 2?
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) includes a federal law that protects the confidentiality of individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders (SUD). Specifically, Part 2 of this law safeguards the treatment records of SUD patients from certain types of federally assisted programs. To share these records, written consent must be obtained from the patient, specifying the recipient and the information to be disclosed.
Why is supervision and consultation important?
Supervision is the space to meet with your supervisors or a qualified individual . In these meetings you are reviewing your caseload, discussing challenges or barriers in treatment, successes, response to interventions, and receiving feedback to improve treatment delivery and professional development.
Consultation allows you to receive advice, guidance, or expertise from someone knowledgeable in a specific area with the purpose of address a need, challenge, inform treatment/decisions.
Define learned helplessness
Learned helplessness occurs when someone repeatedly faces challenges and starts to believe they have no control, leading them to stop trying to change their situation.
Provide an example of a co- occurring disorder
Co-occurring disorders are when a person has both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time.
Name and explain the stages of change
Pre- contemplation: In this phase the motivation to change may not be present or it is minimal.
Contemplation: In this phase a person is “thinking” about changing, they may be aware of the problem area but have not yet take steps to address it/change
Preparation: In this phase this person has the desire to change, there may be plans made to change without any action
Action: In this phase, the person is taking the necessary actions to address the problem area
Maintenance: In this phase, the individual is taking actions to maintain the change
Relapse: Circumstances in which the person returns to previously changed problem areas
Provide historical context about the 5 events from the peer support movement
Paris Asylums 1790s- Patients in recovery were hired as staff to humanize the treatment of mental health conditions.
Pratt Hospital 1920s- Similar approaches were used at Pratt Hospital where individual in recovery were hired on to and offered support based on shared experiences.
Therapeutic Communities- Before state hospitals were establish, therapeutic communities existed as an alternative model to treat mental health. Peers were involved the community by providing support and role modeling recovery.
Advocacy and Policy Influence- Dorothea Dix and Clifford Beers, both of whom had personal experiences with mental illness, were key advocates for humane treatment and community-based care for people with mental illness.
Parallels in 12 Step Programs- Similar examples of peer support and mutual aid can be found in the history of 12 step programs
What's the difference between a relapse plan and a crisis plan?
Both plans are customized by the individual and their specific needs.
Relapse plans decrease the likelihood of a relapse. It is a plan for addressing triggers or challenging situations. It helps clients recognize risks and provides strategies to manage them effectively.
Crisis plans are created to prevent, reduce, and/or address safety concerns or incidents of harm. They include triggers, coping skills, warning signs, supportive people/resources/services, approaches to increase safety.
Define recovery, peer, and lived experience.
CalMHSA states recovery is “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. This process of change recognizes cultural diversity and inclusion and honors the different routes to resilience and recovery based on the individual and their cultural community.”
CalMHSA states, peers are “persons who share similar understanding of experiences with mental health and/or substance use disorders.”
CalMHSA states, Lived experience “refers to an individual’s first-hand experience with a mental health and/or substance use disorder.
Define scope of practice. What is the peers support specialist scope of practice?
Activities or responsibilities that a person is able to practice based on a professional's credential and role.
Educational Skill Building Groups: Providing a supportive environment in which beneficiaries and their families learn coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills in order to help the beneficiaries achieve desired outcomes. These groups promote skill building for the beneficiaries in the areas of socialization, recovery, self-sufficiency, self-advocacy, development of natural supports, and maintenance of skills learned in other support services.
Engagement: Peer Support Specialist led activities and coaching to encourage and support beneficiaries to participate in behavioral health treatment. Engagement may include supporting beneficiaries in their transitions between levels of care and supporting beneficiaries in developing their own recovery goals and processes.
Therapeutic Activity: A structured non-clinical activity provided by a Peer Support Specialist to promote recovery, wellness, self-advocacy, relationship enhancement, development of natural supports, self-awareness and values, and the maintenance of community living skills to support the beneficiary’s treatment to attain and maintain recovery within their communities. These activities may include, but are not limited to, advocacy on behalf of the beneficiary; promotion of self-advocacy; resource navigation; and collaboration with the beneficiaries and others providing care or support to the beneficiary, family members, or significant support persons.
Name 3 laws that protect client's rights, and explain the purpose of each law.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): Privacy Rule sets standards for the protection of individuals' personal health information. Security Rule establishes standards for the secure storage and transmission of electronic protected health information (ePHI)
Olmstead: Emphasizes the importance of community based services rather than institutionalization whenever possible. Receive services in the less restrictive setting as possible.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in various aspects of public life, including employment, public services, public accommodations, and telecommunications.