Wellness In The Woods Inc

MINNESOTA PEER EMPOWERMENT - ABSTRACT WELLNESS IN THE WOODS’ (WITW) MINNESOTA PEER EMPOWERMENT PROJECT BUILDS ON THE PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK IN MINNESOTA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS. WITW USES A HOLISTIC MODEL OF SELF-DIRECTED TREATMENT, INCLUDING THE EVIDENCE-BASED WELLNESS RECOVERY ACTION PLAN (WRAP), WHICH EMPOWERS CONSUMERS TOWARD WELLNESS AND RECOVERY WHILE REFLECTING CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES (CLAS) AND PEER SUPPORT MODELS. THE GOAL OF THE MINNESOTA PEER EMPOWERMENT PROJECT IS TO CREATE A CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR ALL OF MINNESOTA’S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND RURAL FRONTIER REGIONS WHERE POPULATIONS ARE 7 PEOPLE OR LESS PER SQUARE MILE. IT WILL DO SO BY EXPANDING A COLLABORATIVE CROSS-STATE, PEER SUPPORT ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDING PEER SUPPORT SERVICES TO ALL CONSUMERS BY LOCATING AND HIRING CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS. IN ADDITION, WITW WILL FACILITATE TRAINING FOR CONSUMERS, PEER SPECIALISTS, PARTNERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC GEARED TOWARD IMPROVING CONSUMER WELLBEING, REDUCING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS, INCREASING THE ABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS TO CONNECT WITH CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES INCLUDING PEER SUPPORT SYSTEMS, EXPAND PEER LEADERSHIP AND PEER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND THE CAPACITY OF PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE PEER-TO-PEER SERVICES. CORE TO THIS GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS ESPECIALLY IN UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS INCLUDING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, RURAL FRONTIER COMMUNITIES, POPULATIONS WITH CO-OCCURING SUBSTANCE USE CHALLENGES, PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND VETERANS. IN THE FIRST YEAR WITW WILL BRING PEER SERVICES TO 150 CONSUMERS FROM TARGET COMMUNITIES: TRAINING, INCLUDING THE EVIDENCE-BASED WRAP TRAINING, TO 125 PARTICIPANTS FROM TARGETED COMMUNITIES; FACILITATE THE MINNESOTA CERTIFICATION OF 10 PEER SPECIALISTS; EMPOWER 5 CONSUMERS INTO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS; OFFER VIRTUAL PEER SUPPORT NETWORK OPPORTUNITIES TO 50 CONSUMERS IN TARGETED COMMUNITIES; OFFER CULTURAL TRAINING TO 50 PARTICIPANTS; INTERACT WITH 100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REDUCE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH; AND COLLABORATE WITH AT LEAST 5 ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN TARGET COMMUNITIES, 2 ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE CO-OCCURING SERVICES AND AT LEAST 5 STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE A CONTINUUM OF CARE. THESE SAME ACTIVITIES WILL BE DUPLICATED IN YEARS 2 & 3 WITH A 20% INCREASE IN CONSUMER CONNECTION EACH YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF 516 CONSUMERS FROM TARGET COMMUNITIES RECEIVING PEER TO PEER SERVICES (THIS IS IN ADDITION TO WITW CURRENT SERVICE PROVISIONS)

STATEWIDE CONSUMER NETWORK GRANT

STATEWIDE CONSUMER NETWORK GRANT