About Session
This training is part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration at Higgins Lake. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and lodging will be provided. More information can be found about Higgins Lake here.
Join Jose Salinas, Peer State Trainer, for a powerful and reflective session focusing on deepening our connection with the people we serve. This workshop blends practical tools with compassionate insight to support peer professionals cultivating flexible, compassionate response in our work with individuals experiencing addiction, mental health challenges and/or crisis.
Participants will learn about:
- Matching interventions to the level of addiction or illness.
- Internal barriers and how they impact our connections.
- Cultivating response flexibility.
- Remembering pathways and harm reduction.
- Developing and maintaining empathy through:
- Transformative listening.
- Mindfulness self-compassion.
- The power of choice.
Who should attend?
Peer Support Specialists, Peer Recovery Coaches, and anyone who works in a recovery oriented or person-centered space.
About the Trainer:
Bio: Jose is a Certified Peer Support Specialist, Certified Peer Recovery Coach, and a State of Michigan Peer Trainer. With over a decade of experience in Peer Support, Jose has facilitated trainings in Mental Health First Aid, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), Emotional CPR, and mindfulness-based programs for addiction recovery. He is deeply committed to helping individuals navigate recovery from substance use and mental health challenges, offering trauma-sensitive, compassionate support rooted in lived experience.
A person in long-term recovery from addiction, mental health conditions, trauma, and poverty, Jose is passionate about sharing his story to inspire hope and healing in others. He finds strength and connection through nature, community, and his two loyal Australian Shepherds, Chiquis and Peques—his sunrise running partners on hidden trails. Jose believes he didn’t survive addiction for himself alone, but to support others. His life’s work is guided by a drive to help people find their own paths to wellness and recovery.
Eligible for 3.25 MDHHS Continuing Education credits.
