SAMHSA's Recovery to Practice Webinar on Engagement & Outreach

This is Step 1 in SAMHSA's four-part webinar from the Recovery to Practice website.

• Step 1-Engagement and Outreach
• Step 2-"Person Centered Planning From Theory to Practice"
• Step 3-"Promoting Recovery Through Psychological and Social Means"
• Step 4-"Graduation"

MHSA's Webinar of Step 1 in the Recovery-Oriented Care Continuum explains the important first steps of engagment and outreach in Recovery-Oriented Care.

Larry Davidson of DSG, Inc. introduced the webinar as focusing on the important work that is done when you first begin to engage with the individual in recovery oriented care regarding their behavioral health needs either at the onset of care or after following many attempts to trying to find the right care. He states that the recovery relationship begins when trust is established. See the link to webinar and powerpoint included here:

Download Step 1 ROC Continuum Outreach.Engagement Webinar

Download Step 1 ROC Continuum Outreach.Engagement Powerpoint

King Davis of the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin expert on behavioral health disparities and cultural competence. He focuses on the cultural aspects of this recovery engagement process. He focuses on how one can incorporate one's cultural background, identity and experiences into their behvavioral health care.

Other topics he discusses:

• Steve Onken's understanding of recovery & The role people of color have had in recovery-oriented care
• Important recovery elements: engagement, belief in recovery, involvement, voice, respect, planning, risk taking, resilience, motivation and self-determination
• Examples of community effects when there is a lack of a Recovery Oriented System of Care
• The lack of communication between agencies that offer community care: family, schools, church, mental health organizations, police, courts, health care, housing, media, jail, transportation providers, state hospitals and public health providers.
• The context of the multiple layers and the long term history of trauma that exists for many persons in the community which include: loss of family member or child, being uninsured, literacy concerns, poor nutrition, crime victimization, legal history, housing and homelessness issues, mental health challenges, low income, history of alcohol and drug use, lack of education and employment
• Woody Neighbor's work highlighting the concept of the recovery paradox and recovery delay between the onset of one's crisis and the point in time when one seeks support towards their recovery
• The role of the people of color that volunteer, work and participate in that recovery-oriented system of care that can offer voice and insight to that care
• The effects of those many times unseen issues that flow into that recovery care relationship that are involved with people of color-literacy concerns, beliefs about recovery, race and ethnicity, religious ideas, education, income, and family issues

Roger D Fallot is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Community Connections in Washington DC. He is a national expert on the effects of trauma and trauma informed care. He discusses the important role that trauma serves as a potential barrier for behavioral health care. How the presumption of trauma is important before engaging in that behavioral care of those who have experienced trauma. He discusses how to attend to the impact that trauma has had on them and their relationships with others and especially their care providers.

Other topics he discusses:

• the cultural context of trauma-informed care
• the core values of trauma-informed care: safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment
• Looking at abuses of power and choice and ways to avoid that
• Looking at ways to foster empowerment with each individual e.g. surveys?
• Revisiting the core values with staff persons-staff are the ones create the recovery culture
• Emphasizing the need for collaboration for trauma informed care

Laura Van Tosh is the Adult Services Coordinator of the Peer-Delivered Services Initiative of the Oregon Health Authority. Long-term leader in the Mental Health Consumer Survivor Movement. She is a pioneer in peer-delivered services. She elaborates on the principles and best practices for engagement of those in recovery-oriented behavioral health care.

Other topics that are dealt with are:

• Principles and practices such as: hope, tolerance, validation, meeting people where they are, importance of listening and feedback, see "street smarts" as a tool, having speak outs & surveys
• the usefulness of the MHSIP an important consumer developed survey used in Oregon
• the importance on how we hire peer workers
• the importance of multiple peers and participants working togehter in a collaborative way
• to have a real understanding of team work & those difficulties when one has been on his own

Link to  MHSIP Oregon Consumer Survey

These are important items for engagement and outreach to assist us as Peer Support Specialist for our effectiveness in the field as we seek to move towards more recovery-oriented systems of care within the communities we serve  and the people we support in North Carolina.