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A newsletter of the Washington State Health Care Authority Office of Recovery Support. |
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June is Pride Month, an annual observation celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities that honors the Stonewall Uprising in New York City in 1969. Celebrations, such as parades, occur across the United States and world. Learn more about Pride Month and about Washington’s largest pride parade.
Juneteenth is also observed this month. Juneteenth National Independence Day commemorates the ending of slavery when, on June 19, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced in Texas. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed it into law. Learn more about Juneteenth.
June is also Men’s Mental Health Month. A recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) study reports that men are significantly less likely to seek help than women and have higher rates of suicide. This reluctance is due to a variety of factors including gendered societal expectations and the stigma that surrounds seeking support for mental health.
Men's mental health month strives to decrease stigma and encourage men to be more open and proactive about their mental health care. Take action:
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From July 1, 2023 to today, we've certified 1,625 peers!
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Peer support reception at the Washington Behavioral Health Conference
Join us for a peer reception and Peer of the Year award ceremony at this year's Washington Behavioral Healthcare Conference, hosted by the Health Care Authority's Office of Community Voices and Empowerment and Recovery Support Services.
The reception is a free opportunity to network with other peers, offer input to us on your experiences with peer support, and celebrate the life-changing services that peers like you provide!
We will provide food and beverages.
- Thursday, June 13
- 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick, WA
Outreach Academy and annual PATH/Peer Pathfinder meeting
Register by May 16 to attend the annual Outreach Academy! This academy is designed to provide information, skills, and resources to outreach workers statewide.
- June 25 and June 26
- Tacoma, Washington
Peer Pathways Conference
We are pleased to announce that this year’s Peer Pathways Conference will be held in Yakima, WA on August 21 and 22. The theme is "Standing on the shoulders of giants: The past, the present and future of peer support."
Crisis awareness and communication in peer support (CACPS)
Join the crisis awareness and communication in peer support training! This training is 36 hours over the course of five days aimed to enhance your abilities in crisis intervention. Email Amanda Polley for upcoming dates and locations.
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Ted Dale from the Department of Health will be back to discuss peer licensure updates from SB5555. Join us to discuss updates to this peer proviso.
- Thursday, June 6
- 9 to 10 a.m.
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Need support with your organization's peer support program?
Drop in to the Operationalizing Peer Support (OPS) office hours to get help! No registration required.
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Peer support supervisors can learn the National Practice Guidelines for Peer Specialists and Peer Supervisors.
This month, the topic is "Peer supporters are respectful."
- Third Monday of every month
- 11 a.m. to noon
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Live event captioning available
Communication Access Real-time Transcription (CART) services, or live closed captioning, are available for events, on demand. Scheduling CART services requires a three-week lead-time.
To request this accommodation, please submit a request as soon as possible to Amanda Polley.
If you make your request less than a week in advance of the event, our language access manager cannot guarantee that a CART writer will be available.
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Poetry is a great avenue for self-expression and community-building. Every month, we feature poetry written by peers in the community.
To be considered for publication in the newsletter, submit a hopeful, resilience-inspired poem to Marie Marchand, our peer support training coordinator, before the twentieth of the month.
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Peer support in the news
Read some recent peer news to stay up-to-date:
Washington Peer Network
The Washington Peer Network provides comprehensive and accessible training and support for peer counselors across our state.
Learn about the Department of Health's peer services work
Are you interested in knowing more about what the Department of Health (DOH) is doing to support the efforts of recent peer legislation (SSB5555) and moving forward with our Washington State Legislators and the future of licensing for peer services?
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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 Polley as much information as possible:
- Name of person/organization
- Their location
- Why are you highlighting them?
- Their picture (optional)
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!
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