Prosumers International

TEXAS EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE - TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - PROSUMERS INTERNATIONAL AND AUSTIN MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY IMPLEMENT THE TEXAS EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE - TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. IT WILL TRAIN PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BY PROVIDING RESILIENCY AND RECOVERY WORKSHOPS, TRAINING TO SERVE ON CCBHC BOARDS, ENHANCED CERTIFICATION TRAINING FOR PEOPLE WISHING TO BE CERTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH PEER SPECIALISTS, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON PEOPLE RECEIVING SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN TEXAS, WHICH IS MADE UP OF 39 CCBHCS. THIS PROJECT CONTINUES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH PEER SPECIALIST WORKFORCE, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH PEERS, AND ADVOCACY FOR PEER-RUN ORGANIZATIONS. WE WILL IMPLEMENT AN ENHANCED CERTIFICATION PROCESS PILOT TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO COMPLETE THE MENTAL HEALTH PEER SPECIALISTS CERTIFICATION TRAINING. THE PILOT WILL INCLUDE SUPERVISION FOR THE REQUIRED 250 PRACTICE HOURS, AS WELL AS A REVIEW OF SKILLS AND TOOLS PRESENTED IN THE CURRICULUM THREE MONTHS AFTER THEIR CERTIFICATION. THEY WILL BE FOLLOWED FOR A YEAR AFTER RECEIVING THEIR TWO-YEAR CERTIFICATION TO EVALUATE JOB SATISFACTION AND RETENTION. RETENTION OF THE PEER WORKFORCE IS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE. THE GOAL IS TO INCREASE RETENTION OF THE WORKFORCE AND TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO WISH TO BECOME LEADERS IN THE FIELD AND MENTOR THEM. THE ORIGINAL COHORT WILL CONSIST OF TEN PEOPLE. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL BE DEVELOPING TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE SERVING ON CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC (CCBHC) BOARDS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES. THIS IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE VOICE OF PEOPLE RECEIVING SERVICES AT DECISION-MAKING TABLES WHILE ENSURING FIDELITY TO CCBHC STANDARDS. THREE CCBHCS WILL BE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE AND ARE ASKED TO IDENTIFY THREE TO FIVE PEOPLE THEY SERVE TO BE TRAINED AND MENTORED TO SERVE ON THEIR BOARD OR ADVISORY COMMITTEE. FOCUS FOR LIFE, A WORKSHOP THAT HAS PROVED EFFECTIVE IN SUPPORTING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THEIR RECOVERY JOURNEY, WILL BE OFFERED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE READY FOR THEIR LIFE TO BE DIFFERENT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT RECOVERY OR WHERE THEY ARE ON THE JOURNEY. PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE A POSSIBLE CAREER AS A MENTAL HEALTH PEER SPECIALIST WILL BE ENCOURAGED AND MENTORED TO DEVELOP THEIR RECOVERY, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FIELD. A MINIMUM OF 45 PEOPLE WILL COMPLETE THE WORKSHOP. PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT INITIATIVES WILL BE INCLUDED, IF THEY WISH, IN ONGOING ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND SUPPORT FOR AUTONOMOUS PEER-RUN PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS ENSURE FIDELITY TO PEER VALUES, ETHICS, AND NATIONAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES. THE ADVOCACY EFFORTS ARE DESIGNED TO IMPACT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND FURTHER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOVERY-BASED, TRAUMA-AWARE PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES IN TEXAS.

TEXAS EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE - PEER NETWORK, A COSP CERTIFICATION PROJECT - THE TEXAS EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE – PEER NETWORK (TEI-PEER NETWORK) PROJECT MAKES QUALITY PEER SERVICES AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BY DEVELOPING A CONSUMER OPERATED SERVICES PROGRAM (COSP) CERTIFICATION PROCESS BASED ON THE COSP FIDELITY ASSESSMENT COMMON INGREDIENTS TOOL (FACIT) AND THE CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICS (CCBHC) PEER SERVICES AND TRAUMA INFORMED CARE REQUIREMENTS. IN DEVELOPING THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS, AN ADVISORY GROUP OF STATE PEER LEADERS WILL IDENTIFY GAPS IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PEER SERVICES AND TRAUMA INFORMED CARE REQUIREMENTS OF CCBHC CERTIFICATION. THEY WILL BE GIVEN THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO FILL THOSE GAPS AND THEN THEY WILL SERVE AS A WORKGROUP TO DEVELOP THE STANDARDS NEEDED FOR THE COSP CERTIFYING PROCESS. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT COSPS WHO CHOOSE TO BE CERTIFIED MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME DESIGNATED COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS (DCO) UNDER CCBHC. BY THE END OF THE PROJECT THERE WILL BE AT LEAST TWO CERTIFIED COSPS IN TEXAS. THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT THE PEER NETWORK, AN ORGANIZATION DEVELOPED TO SUPPORT AND GROW COSPS IN TEXAS, WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ITS INFRASTRUCTURE TO TAKE OVER THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CERTIFYING PROCESS AT THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD. IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE GRANT, MATERIAL RAISING AWARENESS OF CCBHC AMONG PEER PROVIDERS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND SHARED THROUGH EXISTING PEER NETWORKS AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES. THIS WILL IMPACT PEOPLE RECEIVING SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN TEXAS, ROUGHLY 227,000. IT WILL ALSO IMPACT THE PEOPLE CURRENTLY RECEIVING SERVICES FROM COSPS IN TEXAS. THE TWO LARGEST COSPS SERVED OVER 2500 PEOPLE COMBINED. ALTHOUGH THIS PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED IN 3 YEARS, THE IMPACT WILL CONTINUE AS NEW COSPS ARE CREATED TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR QUALITY PEER SERVICES IN TEXAS.