MIRECC / CoE

VISN 5 MIRECC - Continuing Education for Peer Support Specialists

About Us • Clinical • Education • Research
VISN 5 MIRECC home

VISN 5 MIRECC Peer Specialist Educational Webinar Series

The VISN 5 MIRECC Education Core runs a webinar series aimed at providing continuing education to VA Peer Specialists. These webinars are developed and presented by MIRECC investigators and VA mental health staff and aim to describe useable strategies and tools that VA Peer Specialists can implement in their work with Veterans. Webinars are publicized to VA Peer Specialists locally, within the VISN, and nationally.

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.

Materials:

Presentation Slides: Veteran Outreach into the Community to Expand Social Support (VOICES)

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.

Materials:

MHLE Flyer

Article - Provider Lived Experience and Stigma

Article – Developing Organizational Interventions to Address Stigma Among Mental Health Providers

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.

Materials:

Presentation Slides: Peer Support Around Family Matters

SDM-FIT Manual

Family Matters Manual

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.

Materials:

Presentation Slides: HIV/AIDS and HCV – In the Veteran Population

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.

Download: Cultural Competency and Ethical Care Working with the LGBTQI Populations

 

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 provide descriptions and case examples from their work.

Download Evaluation of Peer Specialists on VA Patient Aligned Care Teams

Download Peer Support Pilot VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) OEF/OIF/OND Post-deployment Clinic

Download Peer Support Pilot Southern Arizona VA Health Care (SAVAHCS) Women’s Health Clinic

 

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

Download Smoking and Veterans: What Peer Specialists Can Do to Help Veterans Quit Part 1

Download Smoking and Veterans: What Peer Specialists Can Do to Help Veterans Quit Part 2

 

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.

Download EASE-ing 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.

Download Screening and Brief Intervention (SBIRT) for Substance Use

 

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.

Download Art & Creative Expression

 

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

Download The Role of Peers in Suicide Prevention

 

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

Download PERSON CENTERED CARE: TIPS AND TOOLS FOR PROVIDING CULTURALLY INFORMED MENTAL HEALTH CARE

 

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.

return to top