August Peer-to-Peer newsletter

Washington State Health Care Authority sent this bulletin at 08/02/2023 08:00 AM PDT

A newsletter of the Washington State Health Care Authority Office of Recovery Support.

August 2023

Peers, by the numbers

In June, we trained 142 peer and certified 107 peers!

In this issue

Peer program highlight: Tacoma Recovery Center
Open peer jobs
Upcoming events
Resources and opportunities
Peer counselor apprenticeships
Nominate a peer
Share your feedback on our newsletter

Peer program highlight: Tacoma Recovery Center

Health Care Authority's (HCA) peer team recently had the opportunity and joy of meeting Anne Artman, and her amazing colleagues/family, from the Tacoma Recovery Café, whose mission is to "create a pathway to recovery that restores families, children, and veterans to their intended life."

During their site visit, they were able to learn about their amazing outreach program, community engagement, and fantastic harm reduction in collaboration with close partners. Tacoma Recovery Café offers a series of different programs; from a fantastic podcast that spotlights veterans to over 30 recovery circles tailored to meet an individual’s personal recovery needs, anger management, meditative relaxation, a comprehensive grief and loss support, and so much more!

The feeling of love, kindness, and acceptance, that only grew with each conversation, is something that we hope that every person has an opportunity to experience. Thank you, Tacoma Recovery Center, for all you do!

A special thanks to:

Jones Community Solutions – Training
Holding the Hope - Training
Peer Washington - Training
Pier 360 – Training
SPARK Peer Learning - Training
Dad’s Move - Training
Passages Family Support - Training
Inspiring Here and Now - Testing
HAPS Recovery – Testing
Miller Consultation – Testing
Resilience and Recovery - Testing

Each one of these peer-run organizations fully stepped into the roles of helping continue our amazing momentum in the peer field and Washington State. The We are full of gratitude and excitement for what the future will hold and wholeheartedly acknowledge that we wouldn’t be able to make that happen without the help of our peer community.

Attend Tacoma Recovery Center's Resource Day

Visit Tacoma's Recovery Center and learn more about the support services they offer.

1321 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
August 23
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Questions? Call 253-533-9361 or email the Recovery Center.

Open peer jobs

Thurston-Mason Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organization (TMBH-ASO):
- Crisis services peer specialist (Lacey)
- Night shift crisis services peer specialist (Lacey)
- Substance use disorder community outreach peer specialist (Shelton)
Valley Cities substance use disorder peer support specialist (Auburn)
Bayside Housing Services peer support specialist (Port Hadlock)

Upcoming events

Peer Pathways Conference

Register now for the annual Peer Pathways Conference. This year's conference theme is "Open Doors: The Culture of Compassion."

August 23 and 24
Located in Seattle, WA
Register now!

Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) trainings

Attend the first and second WRAP seminars in September!

WRAP is an evidence-based, personalized wellness and recovery program. The Health Care Authority and Valley Cities are offering the first and second seminars at no cost.

View the flyer to learn more about WRAP and each seminar or register to attend.

Crisis Awareness and Communication in Peer Support training

Certified peer counselors and recovery coaches who wish to better support people experiencing crisis are invited to attend a 34-hour training course! Learn how to address crisis in a peer-specific way.

September 11-15
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Renton

View the flyer to learn more or register to attend.

Resources and opportunities

Join a substance use disorder intake work group

The substance use disorder intake, screening, and assessments (SUDISA) work group is recruiting members. The work group will recommend changes to help streamline substance use disorder treatment services.

Use your voice and apply today!

HCA may provide a stipend up to $200 a day to members of this work group who are low income or have lived experience to support their participation in order to implement the principles of equity.

Apply to be a member of the work group.

Learn about recent legislation regarding peers

Are you interested in knowing more about what the Department of Health is doing to support the recent legislation, Senate Bill 5555, on the future of licensing for peer services? Visit the DOH peer specialist licensing website or sign up to receive future DOH announcements.

Take a peer workforce engagement survey

As we move forward with our part of implementing Senate Bill 5555, we'd like your input on the future of peer services. Take our quick, three question survey to share your vision for the future of peer services.

Disrupting the narrative: stories of hope and transformation

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is launching "Disrupting the Narrative," a nationwide storytelling challenge for young adults and adults working with youth-serving organizations.

Storytellers can submit their stories focused on overcoming or preventing substance misuse, promoting mental health and wellness, and more.

Submit your story and learn more on the entry form.

Peer counselor apprenticeships

The Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium (HCAC) offers a one-year peer counselor apprenticeship to meet Washington communities' behavioral health needs. Apprentices are employed full-time while they learn and train to become certified peer counselors.

Learn more about the apprenticeships on HCAC's website or watch a video to learn about the benefits of apprenticeships.

Interested in participating?

HCAC is currently looking for employers to participate in peer counselor apprenticeship program. Learn more about this opportunity at our upcoming monthly webinar, the Peer Blend, on September 7.

Nominate a peer

Do you know a CPC or peer-run organization who you think deserves a little extra kudos? We want to highlight them in an upcoming newsletter!

Please email Amanda as much information as possible:

Name of person/organization
Their location
Why are you highlighting them?
Their picture (optional)

Share your feedback on our newsletter

Would you like to have more of an impact on what you see in the Peer-to-Peer newsletter? We would love to hear from you!

Take a survey to share your feedback.

About the Health Care Authority (HCA)

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is committed to whole-person care, integrating physical health and behavioral health services for better results and healthier residents.

HCA purchases health care for more than 2.5 million Washington residents through Apple Health (Medicaid), the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program, the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Program, and the COFA Islander Health Care Program. As the largest health care purchaser in the state, we lead the effort to transform health care, helping ensure Washington residents have access to better health and better care at a lower cost.

Please do not reply directly to this message. For more information, visit the HCA website, where you'll also find contact information.

Disclosure notice

All messages we send via GovDelivery are subject to public disclosure, as are the names and email addresses of those who sign up for email notifications.

Nondiscrimination

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) complies with all applicable federal and Washington state civil rights laws and is committed to providing equal access to our services. Visit HCA’s website to view complete nondiscrimination statements.