7:30 a.m. | Registration Opens
Lobby
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast and Networking
General Session Room
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Full Day Seminars
Choose from one session below. All sessions are eligible for 6.5 MDHHS Continuing Education credits.
Leadership: Michael King
Granite/Copper/Gold Rooms
The Communities Project delivers a highly impactful leadership training aimed at any individuals looking to expand their impact in their organizations, their communities, and their lives. Our leadership training is centered around the following beliefs:
This leadership practice is centered around the following three practices, and our training will explore both the nature of these practices, as well as how they look in terms of practical application. These practices involve centering leadership in:
Presenter:
Michael King
Ethics and Boundaries for Peer Workers
Jade/Pearl/Coral Rooms
MDHHS certified peers across the state of Michigan are required to adhere to the Peer Code of Ethics to protect both the people we serve and our peer workforce. While many ethical issues seem obvious, others can be more nuanced or unexpected. In this training, we will explore the Peer Code of Ethics in more detail while outlining effective strategies to set professional boundaries that can help avoid or respond to ethical concerns you may face.
In this training participants will review the updated code of ethics, discuss and explore ethical dilemmas, outline effective strategies for setting boundaries, and reflect on how our self-care practices can impact our ethical decision-making process. This training qualifies for the 6.5 MDHHS face-to-face Ethics CE requirement for recertification.
Presented By:
Andrew Brown
Glynis Morris
Dwayne Kelly
Kevin Scott
Hunter Spiess
Julie Smythe
Sara Szczotka
Pam Werner
Harm Reduction
Sapphire Room
The presentation will discuss the history of harm reduction in the U.S. and share the principles and values of harm reduction, such as respect, compassion, self-determination, and human rights. The evidence and benefits of harm reduction interventions, including overdose prevention, syringe exchange, and wound care, will be discussed. Other topics include the challenges and barriers to implementing harm reduction, along with the best practices for delivering harm reduction services.
Presented By:
Brooke Cross, RCP-F, CPRC – Home of New Vision
Branda Page, MS, BSN, RN, CAADC-DP, CPRC – Home of New Vision
Leadership: Creating Transformative Impact
Garnet Room
We are all leaders in both the community and workspace. In this workshop you will find out what your true leadership skills are and how to use them in your life. Conflicts happen frequently and your leadership style can shape the outcome. Leadership is not a static concept, but a very fluid one. A good leader adapts to the situation and uses knowledge to navigate the situation.
Presented By:
Kathy Bennett, CPSS – JIMHO
Brian Wellwood, CPSS – JIMHO
Shelley Olson, CPSS -, JIMHO
Creative Arts and Healing through Recovery
Emerald/Amethyst Room
Through the use of creativity, healing from past experiences and trauma can lead to deep change that fosters future self-driven emotional health. Learn about Art Therapy and practice a few art experiential prompts to spark your own insights.
Presented By:
Kayla Lopez, MA, LPC, ATR CAADC
Noon – 1 p.m. | Lunch
General Session Room
7:30 a.m. | Registration Opens
Lobby
7:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. | Breakfast and Networking
General Session Room
9 – 10:15 a.m. | Welcome, Opening, and Keynote
General Session Room
Keynote: Like Water: Peer Movement, Memory & Community Reclamation
Nze Okoronta
Nze is a harm reductionist, facilitator, and consultant. They are known for work surrounding crisis services, public health impact and social policy. They provide consultation around crisis alternatives, peer run respites, peer run warmlines, peer support supervision, and harm reduction. Nze has past experience in housing, diversity, equity, and inclusion, clinical substance use counseling, and population-specific SUD program development for black and brown communities.
Nze is currently the Peer Services Program Director at SOAR Case Management Services Inc., overseeing Solstice House Peer Run Respite in Madison, WI. They also work as a Technical Assistance Consultant for PRCoE (Peer Recovery Center of Excellence) and Harm Reduction Equity Consultant for PeerPride. Nze centers the historical and ongoing truths of psychiatric survivors in their work, believing our stories hold power, community is our home, and pride is a path to liberation.
10:30 a.m. – Noon | Workshop Session 1
Choose from one session below. All sessions are eligible for 1.5 MDHHS Continuing Education credits.
Action Steps of your Journey to Success
Amethyst Room
This workshop will focus on how to be ACTIVE in your life’s journey of meaning, purpose and dreams for a future that is promising, happy, and fulfilling. When we engage in small steps, jump hurdles, and defy the naysayers we can, and we will succeed! Creating a list of your values, strengths, and superpowers will be helpful guides to success. Many are easily enmeshed in negative messages from family, supports, media and even our own self-talk. Being ACTIVE allows us to grow, be informed, get stronger, have more finances, and add quality to life.
Presented By:
Linda Rama, CPSS – Washtenaw County CMH
Breaking Free : Overcoming Negative Self-Talk
Gold Room
Do you often find yourself caught in a cycle of self-doubt, self-criticism, or negative self-talk? This workshop is designed to explore the roots of negative self-talk, and understanding its impact on one’s life, and empowering the participants with practical tools to break free.
Presented By:
Steven J. Henry, CPSS – Relentless Consulting Group
Drugs and Behavior
Granite/Copper Room
Peers are the foundational workforce in the recovery movement. We need to equip them to understand how drugs and alcohol work in the body. During this brief session, peers will be given the foundational understanding of how drugs and alcohol work in the body. They will learn six guiding principles developed by Mark Stanford, Ph.D. that form the basis of understanding how environment, brain chemistry and behaviors all impact recovery throughout the journey. This is an exciting introduction that always brings questions with answers to our participants.
Presented By:
Deborah Smith, CPRC – Wellness InX LLC
Leadership Breakout Session
Garnet Room
This leadership practice is centered around the following three practices, and our training will explore both the nature of these practices, as well as how they look in terms of practical application. These practices involve centering leadership in:
Presenter:
Michael King
Mobile Crisis Peers on the Move
Emerald Room
This training is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively respond to individuals experiencing mental health crises or emotional distress in a mobile crisis intervention setting. This training program integrates two key components: de-escalation techniques and peer support strategies. We will focus on inter-agency connection and collaboration, working on an interdisciplinary team, as well as resource brokering. This workshop will assist peers to develop and identify effective coping strategies for working in a high stress environment, practicing self-care techniques, and how to be a vital tool in the recovery of others.
Presented By:
Micole Jameson, CPSS – Hegira Health
Adam Erhardt, CPSS – Hegira Health
Pearline Ballard, CPSS – Hegira Health
Opioid Settlement Funds; Education and Advocacy
Pearl Room
This course will outline seven steps for becoming advocates for the appropriate application and disbursement of opioid settlement funds. We will discuss the underlying issue, the terms of the settlement, how to identify the community’s needs, how to build a coalition, creating a detailed disbursement plan, when and how to contact local officials, and when to be persistent.
Effective advocacy often requires a great deal of persistence and collaboration. By working together with your community and local officials, you can increase the likelihood of the opioid settlement funds being used in ways that have the most meaningful impact.
Presented By:
Stephen Thiele, CPRC – Life Align
Pamela Lynch, CPRC – Harm Reduction Michigan
Self-Care Priority for The Peer Workforce
Sapphire Room
This workshop will serve to heighten the awareness of peer-to-peer service providers about the ethical imperative and critical practice of self-care. At least one meditative practice is included for skill building. Participants will interactively explore current strengths and challenges in their current self-care routines, explore goal setting for improvement, and brainstorm suggestions for advocating for self-care support at their respective agencies.
Presented By:
Ricardo Bowden, CPRC – Peer 360 Recovery Alliance
Tracy Madden, CPRC – Peer 360 Recovery Alliance
Noon – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Speaker
General Session Room
Living Truth, Building Power
Ariel Britt, MSW
Ariel “Air” Britt received her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Most of her career has been focused on developing substance use prevention, intervention, and support services for youth and young adults. In 2019, she created an award-winning podcast Beauty in the Grit. It shares true stories from her own journey in recovery and others that have inspired her along the way. In 2021, she served as a political appointee for the Biden-Harris Administration at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Currently, she is working on several projects to harness the power of data and storytelling for social good. Alongside her professional life, Air finds joy and fulfillment in raising her son Jude.
1:45 – 3:15 p.m. | Workshop Session 2
Choose from one session below. All sessions are eligible for 1.5 MDHHS Continuing Education Credits.
Catching Hope: Hope Givers, Hope Receivers, and Hope Stealers
Garnet Room
One of the most important aspects of recovery is hope. It’s as important as the air we breathe. Hope can make bad day’s better and good days great. This training will utilize personal stories to illustrate the distinction between those who give, receive, and steal hope. Peers will learn how to help the people they work with develop healthy relationships by learning how one attracts Hope Givers and keeps them in their lives!
Presented By:
Sherri Rushman, CPSS, OCHN
Charting the LifeCourse: Planning for a Good Life
Emerald Room
Charting the Lifecourse is a framework for supporting individuals and families to envision a good life. Using the tools from Charting the Lifecourse, participants can have new conversations with people they serve to help them to create a vision of a good life. Once the vision is “on paper,” the tools can help the person to identify the supports necessary to help get to that good life. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about Charting the Lifecourse and what makes a good life. Participants will hear stories of how people used the tools to plan their future.
Presented By:
Patricia Wentworth, CPRC – Right Door
Jan Lampman, Facilitator – PCP Learning Community
Harm Reduction 101
Granite/Copper Room
Our goal is to educate, empower, and inspire people to adopt a harm reduction approach in their work and lives. This presentation will share the principles and values of harm reduction, discuss the evidence and benefits of harm reduction interventions, explore challenges and barriers to implementing harm reduction, and best practices for delivering harm reduction services.
We will cover topics such as respect, compassion, self-determination, and human rights. We will discuss drug use, including overdose prevention, syringe exchange, and medications for Opioid Use Disorder. This includes stigma, discrimination, criminalization, and lack of funding and resources. We will also discuss strategies for care such as building trust, engaging with a diverse population, addressing co-occurring issues, and collaboration with other providers and stakeholders.
Presented By:
Branda Page, MS, RN, CAADC-DP, CPRC – Home of New Vision
Brooke Cross, RCP-F, CPRC – Home of New Vision
Michigan Peer Warmline
Sapphire Room
In this session, we will review the Michigan Warmline’s foundational principles, core competencies, and how we operate a trauma informed line staffed by individuals who are MDHHS Certified Peer Support Specialists.
Presented By:
Mary Beth Evans, CPSS – Common Ground
Jill Smith – Common Ground
PREVAIL: Suicide Prevention through Hope, Belonging and Purpose
Gold Room
Join peer support specialists and the principal investigator of the University of Michigan PREVAIL (Peers for Valued Living) study to get an inside look at this promising suicide prevention practice. PREVAIL focuses on strengthening the three suicide protective factors while being mindful of the intensity of suicidal crisis. Witness how we use the Invite, Learn, Share and Motivate (ILSM) conversation guides to engage with participants on ten key topics related to hope, belonging and purpose. The dynamic, flexible format leads to meaningful, productive conversations that feel natural.
Presented By:
Becky Cronin, CPSS – University of Michigan
Paul Pfeiffer – University of Michigan
Teresa Nelson, CPSS – University of Michigan
Amy Sieniarecki, CPSS – University of Michigan
Yarrow Halstead, CPSS – University of Michigan
The Tobacco Endgame: What does this mean for peers?
Amethyst Room
In this workshop, we will present results from a statewide peer survey on tobacco use, tobacco recovery, and opportunities for improved health and wellbeing. Facilitators, alongside attendees, will critically evaluate these findings to identify key outcomes to highlight and disseminate to improve knowledge about peer tobacco recovery. The workshop will conclude with a collaborative brainstorm for actionable next steps to promote tobacco recovery within the peer’s network and the people that peers serve.
Presented By:
Lara Coughlin – University of Michigan
Merton Hershberger – CPSS, Washtenaw CMH
Sahana Lothumalla – University of Michigan
Devin Tomlinson – University of Michigan
Chelsea Wilkins – University of Michigan
3:30 – 5 p.m. | Workshop Session 3
Choose from one session below. All sessions are eligible for 1.5 MDHHS Continuing Education Credits.
Holistic Recovery: Whole-person Healing
Garnet Room
Holistic recovery considers the whole person in regard to the recovery journey and aims to bring the body, mind, and spirit back into alignment. This approach is an opportunity for participants to better attend to both their psychological and physical needs. With holistic approaches such as yoga, meditation, reiki, and acupuncture, participants may see improvements not only in their recovery but also in other parts of their daily life. Several of these techniques are also categorized as alternative or complementary treatments, some of which are based on practices that derive from cultural traditions. Examples of these include:
Presented By:
Tara Moreno-Wallen – Serenity House Communities
Peer Support Reboot
Sapphire Room
This presentation seeks to inform peers on the history and evolution of Peer Support. Participants will review and discuss the guiding principles of recovery and peer support from a perspective of career choice. Looking at gems that are used to advocate for human rights by breaking down stigma and social injustices.
Presented By:
Braunwynn Franklin, CPSS – 313 Network Solutions
Disparities in the LBGQ+ Community
Gold Room
This workshop will cover topics related to mental health disparities in the LBGTQ+ community while discussing strategies and resources to support closing these disparities.
Presented By:
Angie Messinger, CPSS
The Gift of Connection: Peer Support and Engagement
Amethyst Room
Meaningful connection is sacred to peer support, and truthfully to the human experience as a whole. Connection goes beyond what we can do for each other and expands into how we can build a bridge between our hearts and together find meaning in our experiences, both painful and joyful. This connection is not only powerful in fulfilling our emotional needs but also strengthening our recovery journey and our pursuit of a supportive community. This presentation seeks to explore these themes along with meaningful take-aways for our own self-care journey as peer professionals, and to discuss the transformation of traditional modes of service delivery into one that fosters personal and holistic growth.
Presented By:
Clarissa Winters, CPSS – LifeWays
Sherry Mills, CPSS – LifeWays
Verbal De-escalation Techniques for Peer Professionals
Granite/Copper Room
Peer professionals working in behavioral health settings are frequently faced with difficult situations and clients in distress. Individuals who experience crises are often in need of services, and knowing how to support them while also maintaining boundaries and self-care can be challenging for many peer professionals. This training will help participants develop a comprehensive understanding of de-escalation techniques that can be used when working with vulnerable populations to help prevent a crisis from escalating. This course focuses on verbal de-escalation skills that can be utilized in multiple scenarios, including the workplace and in the community.
Presented By:
Allison Herrst, CPRC – Recovery Action Network of Michigan
7 – 9 p.m. | Karaoke
General Session Room
7:30 a.m. | Registration Opens
Lobby
7:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. | Breakfast and Networking
General Session Room
9 – 10:15 a.m. | Keynote
General Session Room
Leading the Change: The Powerful Role of Peers
Peer panel discussion with Emma Avery, Glynis Morris, Hunter Spiess-Whitaker, and Kevin Scott. Moderated by Tracy Vincent
10:30 a.m. – Noon | Workshop Session 4
Choose from one session below. All sessions, unless noted, are eligible for 1.5 MDHHS Continuing Education credits.
Building Healthy Relationships at Work
Granite/Copper Room
Lack of understanding of the unique relationship environment people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) face in inclusive work often leads to employment issues. We understand what the lack of sexuality and relationship education for people with IDD can also lead to: high rates of abuse, being charged with a sex crime, unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and isolation and loneliness. Self-advocates want to learn about this topic and often say they are still healing from the trauma of learning the hard way. These statistics can improve by providing medically accurate, age-appropriate sexuality and healthy relationship education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Another reason this is so important is there are ways to provide this education by having self-advocates become one of the sexuality and relationship instructors or peer educators of this topic which provides them with leadership opportunities that will be part of the solution.
Presented By:
Mary Shehan – Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council
Frank Vaca – Michigan Disability Rights Coalition
Connecting the Dots: The Link Between SUD Recovery and Sex
Sapphire Room
Co-facilitated by individuals in long-term SUD recovery through Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s Sexual Health Ambassadors (SHA) program; this training will help attendees understand the connection between recovery and sexual health.
Sexual behavior has long been stigmatized which can lead to intense feelings of shame, guilt, rapid declines in self-esteem, and unhealthy behaviors. Working to reduce the stigma of sex in early recovery helps to remove barriers and build the confidence necessary to set sexual and relationship boundaries.
We believe that focusing on a more inclusive approach to the messages about sex and relationships – an approach that includes opportunities to educate clients on abstinence as well as consent, supportive relationships, STIs, contraceptives, and barrier methods like condoms, can empower clients to make healthier decisions for themselves and support long-term recovery.
Presented By:
Carrie Ullery-Smith, CPRC – Planned Parenthood
Kim Johnson, CPRC – Planned Parenthood
Jeff Lange, CPRC – Planned Parenthood
Jennifer Stratton – Planned Parenthood
Marina Bigger, CPRC – Planned Parenthood
Independent Facilitation: A Partner in the Person-Centered Planning Process
Garnet Room
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released its Home and Community Based Services (HBCS) Final Rule in 2014. The HCBS Final Rule seeks to improve the quality and delivery of HCBS services. These services should support individuals with disabilities to live meaningful lives in their home and community. One of the key features of the HCBS Final Rule is Conflict-Free Case Management. It requires that the assessment and coordination of HCBS services must be separate from the delivery of HCBS services. The goal of Conflict-Free Case Management is to limit the service agency’s bias when assessing or coordinating HCBS services and promote the individual’s choice and independence through a quality Person-Centered Planning process. Peers and Peer-delivered services can help to address Conflict-Free Case Management. This presentation will describe Conflict-Free Case Management and the role Peers can play in Conflict-Free Case Management.
Presented By:
Jamie Junior – Disability Network Wayne County Detroit
Angela Martin – Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute, Wayne State
Living your Best Life
Amethyst Room
The Community Transition Trainers of the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute at Wayne State University inform and educate people with disabilities and their families about independent living. The trainers share their own journeys to independent living and explain the steps others need to consider when thinking about a change in housing. The trainers emphasize the crucial role of Person-Centered Planning (PCP) in the process. The trainers also provide information about helpful housing resources.
Presented By:
Leonardo Bravo, Peer Mentor – Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute
Alex Kimmel, Peer Mentor – Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute
Ryan Klotz, Peer Mentor – Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute
Julie Fitzsimons, Peer Mentor – Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute
Oral Health Recovery: A Peer-Led Dental Education Group
Gold Room
People with psychiatric disabilities face significant oral health disparities. They are vulnerable to oral disease risks and have greater oral treatment needs (Kilbourne et al. 2007; Matevosyan 2010; Kisley et al. 2015). They are more than three times as likely to lose all their teeth (Kisley et al. 2015) and have significantly higher levels of cavities, missing teeth, and decayed teeth (Yang et al. 2018). In this project, the University of Michigan collaborated with a Community Advisory Board of peer specialists, peer recovery coaches, and drop-in center leadership to develop the Oral Health Recovery approach, which involves (1) a peer-led Oral Health Recovery dental health education group, and (2) peer-facilitated linkages to dental clinics. This presentation will describe the Oral Health Recovery approach and the results of our study.
Presented By:
Adrienne Lapidos – University of Michigan
Brian Wellwood – JIMHO
Merton Hershberger – CPSS, Washtenaw CMH
Kathy Bennett, CPSS
Patrick Kelly, CPSS
Sara Pasiak, MSW
Take the Lead! Start your Own Multiple Pathways to Recovery
Coral Room
While many recovery communities continue to grow and thrive with the growing acceptance of Multiple Pathways to Recovery approaches, some are struggling to provide a variety of choices beyond traditional options. This workshop will provide a brief overview of multiple pathway meetings and other approaches followed by a how-to instructional guide on how to start, market and facilitate your own meeting. This workshop will also incorporate other recovery resources including MAT options and activity-based recovery options.
Presented By:
Chris O’Droski, CPRC – Hegira Health Inc.
Peering Into Veteran Benefits: A Path for HOPE
Emerald Room
This interactive session attendees will not only learn what defines a Veteran classification but how those earned benefits can result in greater support for Veterans who come before our agencies. The session will include direct access to obtaining records and or DD 214 Military Discharge documentation. Attendees who are not Veterans will learn through Military Culture and other interactive activities how to effectively work with a Veteran.
Presented By:
Douglas Brinker, CPSS – LifeWays
Keri Sutton, CPSS, CHW – US Army/Combat Medic
Michigan Peer Specialists United
Pearl Room
This session is not eligible for CE credits.
Michigan Peer Specialists United works to support, promote and advocate for the profession of Peer Support Specialists. Working to enhance the professional growth and development of the profession, maintain professional standards, advise, and advance solid peer support policies and practices to enhance the delivery of peer services towards improving the quality of life for individuals we serve.
This workshop will allow Certified Peer Support Specialists to inform the board of the needs of the profession and discuss the priorities of the profession of Peer Support Specialists. Opportunities to become involved in the organization will be discussed.
Presented By:
Sandra Fleischman
Johanna Nicolia-Adkins
Noon – 1 p.m. | Lunch and Speaker
General Session Room
Self-Direction
Erica Andres
Self-direction has been around for a while, but the pandemic and nationwide caregiving crisis have accelerated its growth exponentially. This presentation will provide an in-depth look at the state of self-direction across the country. You’ll also hear Erica’s personal journey with self-direction and the profound positive impact it has had on her life. Gain first-hand knowledge of the benefits and challenges associated with self-direction, along with strategies to overcome those challenges.
Erica has over 20 years of experience working in the Health and Human Services field and has the added expertise of living a self-directed life and directing her own care for over 20 years. Erica has Spinal Muscular Atrophy and is a participant in the WI Self-Directed Program. Erica has spoken at many national and even international conferences about her experience living a self-directed life and what a positive impact it has had on her. Besides working at Applied Self-Direction, Erica also owns a business called Empowering U, which is dedicated to helping disabled people self-direct and make the most out of their lives. Erica assists disabled people generally navigate the sometimes-confusing world of self-direction, with an emphasis on assisting with recruiting, hiring, and managing direct care workers. Anytime Erica can help someone live their life to the fullest, she is in!
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page or send us a message!
