MIRECC / CoE

VISN 5 MIRECC - Continuing Education for Peer Support Specialists

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July 18, 2024
Expansion of Peer Specialists in the Veteran Justice Programs

Antonio D. Harris, LCSW, Michele Kane, MA PSS, David Youmans, Carly K. Wilson LICSW, Michael Kane, CPS

The Strong Act of 2022 mandates the expansion of peers and increased outreach services to the justice-involved Veteran population. Many Peer Specialists are not aware of opportunities to make referrals to or work in Veteran Justice Outreach. The purpose of this presentation was for Peer Specialists, Peer Supervisors, and their treatment teams to learn and absorb how the Veterans Justice Program (VJP) office executes this legislation through intervention by its frontline staff. This presentation endeavored to bridge the knowledge gap for peer specialists, peer supervisors, and their treatment teams, providing them with the information needed to utilize opportunities for referrals related to their work with the Veteran Justice Outreach with the aim of improving Veteran care.

April 26, 2024
Lets Talk about Social Skills Training: Overview of the Intervention for Peer Specialists

Clare Gibson, PhD and Thomas Cousar, CPSS

Meta-analysis of controlled trials on Social Skills Training (SST) supports the efficacy of SST for improving psychosocial functioning (SST; Kurtz & Mueser, 2008). Social Skills Training for Serious Mental Illness (Bellack et al, 2004) is an evidence-based practice (EBP) for persons with serious mental illness (Dixon et al., 2010). Veterans are required to have access to evidence based psychosocial interventions like SST (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023; Department of Veterans Affairs, 2021). The SST Training Program is unique to the extent that Peer Specialists may participate in the SST VA EBP roll-out. Peer Specialist participation in the SST VA EBP rollout would ultimately empower Veterans to effectively utilize social skills and thereby enhance their recovery. Note: attending the presentation was not sufficient training to be able to implement SST groups.

February 26, 2024
Clearing the Smoke: Peer Support Strategies for Smoking Cessation in Veterans

Corinne Kacmarek, PhD, and Tracy Robertson, CPSS

Physical effects from smoking are a leading cause of death among Veterans and a major contributor to health disparities between Veterans with and without mental illness. Most Veterans who smoke want to quit. Many effective treatments are available to help, but less than a quarter of Veterans receive treatment to help them quit. This webinar provided practical strategies and real-world demonstrations on how to talk about smoking with Veterans. Peer Specialists, working with their mental health treatment teams, were provided with ways to talk about smoking with Veterans within a recovery framework.

September 14, 2023
Supporting Women Veterans with Mental Health Concerns in Mid-life and Beyond

Haley Miles-McLean, PhD

The population of women Veterans receiving care at the VA is growing. A majority of women Veterans in VA care are aged 45 or older. Many women Veterans also have mental health concerns, which can impact their healthcare needs. In addition, women Veterans often have sex-specific (e.g., menopause) and gender-specific (e.g., exposure to gender-based harassment) experiences that can impact them as they age and are relevant to their healthcare needs. The biopsychosocial model is a helpful tool for understanding the intersecting experiences that women Veterans with mental health concerns can have, particularly as they age. This presentation provided information on the demographics of women Veterans. It will also aimed to help address gaps in knowledge regarding the biopsychosocial model and its application to the healthcare of aging women Veterans with mental health concerns. Various methods Peer Specialists could use to help support women Veterans with mental health concerns as they age were discussed. This presentation aimed to increase knowledge about strategies that could be used to engage and support women Veterans with these intersecting experiences, with a focus on functional recovery and prioritizing Veterans’ own goals/priorities.

June 8, 2023
AboutFace: You Are Not Alone-A Peer Education Campaign from the National Center for PTSD with Video Stories from Veterans Who Have Been There

Vicky Bippart, Elissa McCarthy, PhD, Gregory Trotman, CPS

AboutFace is an online tool that can enhance the work of Peer Specialists by providing both information about PTSD and PTSD treatment. AboutFace is a growing archive of readily available videos from over 100 Veterans and their support networks who have first-hand experience with PTSD and PTSD treatment. This presentation aimed to improve the knowledge base and decrease the gap in the dissemination of information and resources that have the potential to help Veterans in their recovery from PTSD. AboutFace can be used as an educational tool and recommended as a part of PTSD education for Veterans and their social support. AboutFace can help a Veteran understand PTSD treatment from a Veterans’ perspective. In addition to in-person support, this webinar aimed to increase peer specialist knowledge about to ways AboutFace videos can be used to supplement their work and help Veterans get through challenging parts of PTSD treatment by hearing from a variety of Veterans who have had similar experiences.

December 8, 2022
Trauma-Informed Care Approaches for Peer Specialists

Abigail Angkaw, PhD and Susan L. Lee

Peer Specialists from the VA meet with other Veterans to help them recover from physical and behavioral health disorders, including many Veterans who have experienced trauma. The incorporation of trauma-informed approaches to improve services and outcomes for Veterans has been supported by research. While many Peer Specialists receive trauma informed care training as part of their certification, there is a relative lack of refresher training for this critical approach, which jeopardizes the quality and effectiveness of Peer efforts. This webinar will reviewed the overlapping growth, principles, and implementation of both peer support and trauma-informed care approaches as integral components of recovery-based mental healthcare and service delivery for peers and interprofessional healthcare teams. This presentation provided Peer Specialists with trauma-informed care training so that they can most effectively support the Veteran patients with whom they work by fostering safety, trust, engagement, and empowerment, thereby facilitating Veteran recovery.

May 17, 2022
Addressing Race-Based Stress and Trauma in Veterans: A Group Intervention

Maurice Endsley, PhD and Sonya Ebhotemen, CPS

Race-based stress and trauma (RBST) refers to stress, harm and psychological injury that results from cumulative or chronic exposure to racism that may be severe or moderate in nature, and may be experienced as trauma and/or microaggressions. Veterans impacted by RBST, during their military service and after, are at risk of developing negative mental health outcomes.VA health care staff have received limited guidance on addressing these clinical issues. A group-based intervention targeting RBST has been developed and implemented at VA, with potential for the development of similar interventions VA wide. This ninety-minute webinar provided an overview of the Race-Based Stress and Trauma Empowerment (RBSTE) intervention that is co-facilitated by Peer Specialists and other VA mental health staff.

January 19, 2022
Peer-led Recovery Group Facilitation Skills

Amy Jack, CPSS and Geri Hunt, CPSS

Group facilitation is one of the primary means by which Peers Specialists intervene to support the recovery and wellness of fellow Veterans in VA treatment. Peer Specialists conduct groups in a variety of VA treatment settings, provide groups using various intervention strategies and cover a range of issues and topics in these groups. Peer-led support groups can be highly useful to engage and empower the participating Veterans to work towards their individual goals and support each other in the process. Key to the success of these groups is thoughtful and skillful facilitation by the Peer Specialist. Some Peers have not had thorough training in general group facilitation skills, and others have not had this recently. To begin to meet these needs, this webinar provided a conceptual framework on group facilitation skills, and provided specific guidance on group development, facilitation & co-facilitation, group challenges, and documentation of group sessions.

June 24, 2021
Discussing Cultural Identity with Veterans

Mary Katherine Howell, PhD

Cultural identity factors play a significant role in the vulnerability to, experience of, and recovery from mental illness. Approaches to mental health services that are ethically sound prioritize cultural competence (awareness, knowledge, and skills) as well as cultural humility. Many Veterans hold multiple identities simultaneously that influence their conceptualizations of the treatment and recovery process. Providers seeking to deliver culturally responsive services and person-centered care for Veterans should regularly incorporate discussions about cultural identity, as well as discussions of stressful experiences and strengths related to identity, during care to inform care. Peer Support Specialists have a unique and important role to play in leading these conversations with Veterans. Techniques to facilitate conversations about cultural identity were introduced, including a provider guide with an outline of sample talking points and a cultural identity graphic to use as a visual aid.

February 25, 2021
PARTNER-MH, A Peer-led Patient Navigation Intervention

Johanne Eliacin, PhD, HSPP and James G. Miller, BSW, CHWCRS

This webinar featured the PARTNER-MH program, a peer-led patient navigation research project that seeks to engage minority Veterans in VA outpatient mental health services and increase their participation in shared decision-making with their mental health providers. VA Research Scientist, Dr. Johanne Eliacin and VA peer support specialist, Mr. James Miller described the PARTNER-MH program, discussed peers’ experiences as interventionists in the study, and presented preliminary findings from the project. This research project laid the groundwork for conducting patient navigation and communication interventions with minority Veterans in VA mental healthcare settings.

July 30, 2020
Digital Peer Support in the VHA: An Overview of Research, Tools, and Strategies

Karen Fortuna, PhD, LICSW and Kyle Milk, CPSS

Peer support is recognized globally as an essential recovery service for people with mental health conditions. With the influx of digital mental health services changing the way mental health care is delivered, peer supporters are increasingly using technology to deliver peer support. The presenters reviewed and synthesized the emergent evidence for peer-supported digital health interventions for adults with mental health conditions.

June 23, 2020
VA Mobile Mental Health Apps: From Self-Management to Suicide Prevention

Paul McGee-Vincent, PsyD and Tim Avery, PsyD

The VA Tech into Care team at the VA National Center for PTSD rolled out a 2-year (May 2019 - May 2021) Joint Incentive Fund (JIF) quality improvement project entitled "Expanding Reach of VA/DoD Mobile Apps to Improve Coping and Reduce Suicide Risk.” The project that was described, had two main parts: To develop a suicide safety planning mobile app module that will be integrated into our team’s existing mobile mental health apps, starting with PTSD Coach, to increase the accessibility and improve the utility of the suicide safety plan; To train staff at 18 VA Medical Centers across VA in how to integrate mobile mental health apps (including the new suicide safety planning app module) into the care that they provide to Veterans.

March 4, 2020
Building Coffee Socials: Veteran Outreach into the Community to Expand Social Support (VOICES)

Jessica Mack, MSW, CPS & Jay Gorman, Ph.D., CPRP

Described this Project at the Bedford VA that was designed to increase social support and connection in the community by organizing weekly social gatherings for Veterans in community settings that would initially be guided by Peer Specialists and would ultimately be sustained by Veteran community leaders. Focus and goals are toward increasing Veteran community involvement, and community capacity for support, education, wellness and access.

September 23, 2019
Mental Health Lived Experience (MHLE) Community of Practice

Jeanette I. Harris, Ph.D.

Introduced Peers to a group of mental health professionals working in VA who have personal lived experience with mental illness. The goal of the MHLE Community of Practice is to assist the VA in recovery-oriented care and workplace diversity. The presentation and discussion opened the door to bridge building between the VA MHLE provider community and VA Peer Specialists.

June 27, 2019
Peer Support Around Family Matters

Anjana Muralidharan, Ph.D., & Tracy Robertson, CPRS

Reviewed the role of Family involvement in Mental Health Recovery, VA Family-based interventions including the Shared Decision-Making Protocol for Family Involvement in Treatment (SDM-FIT), the role of the Peer Specialist in family engagement and specifically the peer-led Family Matters Group.

March 6, 2019
HIV/AIDS and HCV – In the Veteran Population

Meaghan Graydon, Ph.D. & Pamela Handelsman, Psy.D.

Provided an overview of these illnesses and treatment, psychosocial factors impacting care, treatment and wellbeing, and strategies for working with Veterans who are diagnosed.

July 12, 2018
Raising Awareness: Cultural Competency and Ethical Care Working with the LGBTQI Populations

Jillian Silveira, OTR/L, VAMHCS LGBT+ Veteran Care Coordinator

VA National Directive 2013-003 provides for health care for transgender and intersex veterans. This talk provided information to counter cultural bias, to provide facts about this population and their healthcare needs, and how to develop cultural competency with this group of Veterans.

March 29, 2018
Peers on Primary Care PACT

Richard Goldberg, Lori Kiefer, Frederick Nardei Jr.

This initiative embedded Peers on Primary Care PACT teams. Two Peer Specialists provided descriptions and case examples from their work. 

October 31, 2017
Smoking and Veterans: What Peer Specialists Can Do to Help Veterans Quit

Melanie Bennett

Practical strategies that Peers can utilize with Veterans to discuss, plan, and refer for smoking cessation 

June 20, 2017
EASE-ing Self Stigma

Amy Drapalski, Vonda Sykes

Self-Stigma is harm caused when people start to define themselves by stereotypes they are exposed to. EASE is a program for all mental health staff to help people reduce or avoid the effects of self-stigma. 

January 26, 2017
Screening and Brief Intervention (SBIRT) for Substance Use

Letitia Travaglini

Screening and Brief Intervention tools can assist Peers to engage Veterans to access substance use treatment. 

October 17, 2016
Art and Creative Expression

Brandi Daugherty, Rosemary Culver, Shirley Maniece

Provided examples of successful art and creative expression activities designed to promote Veteran mental health recovery. 

March 10, 2016
The Role of Peers in Suicide Prevention

Jonathan Holland, Danielle Jahn

Provides facts on suicide, prevention, and guidelines for Peers to assist Veterans in distress, that are effective and within the Peers scope of practice 

November 5, 2015
Person Centered Care: Tips and Tools for Providing Culturally Informed Mental Health Care

Samantha Hack

Culturally Informed Care is an approach that emphasizes learning and valuing each individual Veteran’s cultural experience in order to provide the most respectful and effective person centered interventions 

May 29, 2015
Promoting Self-Care for VA Peer Specialists

Stephanie Park

An important part of maintaining one’s own health and Recovery, and one’s effectiveness as a Peer Specialist is a commitment to engaging in regular self-care. Tips and strategies are provided. 

December 19, 2014
Using Tools to Discuss and Promote Health Behavior Change

Melanie Bennett

Promoting healthy behavior can occur when Veterans are ambivalent about change. Strategies are provided for Peers to engage Veterans in contemplating and committing to change. 

August 8, 2014
Making Effective Use of your Recovery Story

Ralf Schneider

Sharing one’s recovery story is a valuable strategy to engage fellow Veterans in change. However, the usefulness of this strategy depends on how you communicate it, staying mindful of why you are sharing and what is both appropriate and useful for the Veteran to hear.

For more information please contact Ralf Schneider at ralf.schneider@va.gov or 443-421-5889.

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