"It has been an incredible experience to have our clients open up to and trust me...I have seen multiple clients “light up”, and express that they feel it will be very helpful to have someone who “knows what they are going through”. This is the reward every time."
1) As a peer, how do you define success?
I define success as living my life one day at a time, in a manner that allows for emotional, mental, and financial stability. I also define success as modeling recovery every day. Beyond this, I define success as living my life with the keen awareness that I am a spiritual being living a human life, and that this life is impermanent.
2) How have you prepared yourself to enter the workforce?
That's a good question...I always did very well in school, and after a lot of struggle with my mental health issues I graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's in Public Health Education. In addition, I have completed yoga teacher training and peer support specialist training to make myself more marketable. I have also held both full-time and part-time jobs since age 15 (I am 28 now), in order to determine what kind of work will best suit me.
Right now, I am thinking I will end up doing research related to mental health/complementary and alternative medicine. I have a passion for research, but have decided to do direct care work with peers for now.
In order to prepare myself for my current position, I have done a great deal of self-work to manage mood, mental health, physical pain, etc. I also have a spiritual practice that keeps me grounded (most of the time!)
3) How important is your own wellness as a peer?
It is more important than any part of my job description. It is more important even than my paycheck. I live and breath my recovery, and I don't believe that I would be able to serve our clients were this not the case. The recovery movement is fascinating to me, and I am trying to get my personal WRAP finished so that I can start to branch out and learn more about other aspects of the recovery movement. First things first, however. My wellness always takes precedence.
4) What wellness tools do you use in your life?
For me, managing stress is the number one most important aspect of maintaining wellness. I have just recently, in the last 6 months, really pinpointed that. As a result, I have added tools such as deep breathing, daily deep relaxation, food journaling, and other tools to my toolbox. Exercise, staying organized, and spending time with my partner are also very important.
4) What experiences have you found most rewarding?
It has been an incredible experience to have our clients open up to and trust me in the first month of work as a CPSS. I always introduce myself as a peer, and communicate that I also have a mental health diagnosis. I have seen multiple clients “light up”, and express that they feel it will be very helpful to have someone who “knows what they are going through”. This is the reward every time.
5) What advice do you have for peers just entering the workforce?
Take the time to create a WRAP as soon as possible. Pay close attention to the ups and downs in your moods as you begin work. Identify triggers in the work environment, and try to mitigate those triggers early on.
Always pay attention to your basic needs. Don't let yourself get too hungry/ angry/lonely/tired..."HALT". When I let these things slide, I create what I like to think of as 'false crises' for myself. In these cases, I think that I am having an emotional crisis, but when I attend to these basic needs I realize that those were at the root of my extreme emotions.
6) How would you recommend new peers get plugged in online? How has that helped you keep your "finger on the pulse" of what is happening in the peer workforce in NC?
I recommend that all peers connect with other peers via the internet. The internet is a tool, and it can actually be used for good! There are online support groups on the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance site (www.dbsalliance.org) for peers and family members. For those interested in becoming Certified Peers, in North Carolina the best place to go is pss.unc.edu.
For those in other states, I would recommend contacting SAMSHA through their website and asking for information about peer support specialist programs and jobs in your state. If an individual is a member of LinkedIn, one of the most useful peer communities for employment is the Certified Peer Support Specialists and NC Certified Peer Support Specialists LinkedIn groups.
7) What are your creative outlets that keep you inspired?
Other Interviews
- Interview with Dr. Ken Blackman-Peer Trainer & Peer To Veterans
- Interview with Donna Joyner, CPSS, In-Reach Specialist
- Interview with Brandon Tankersley-Director of Peer Services at Monarch
- Interview with Myron McCutcheon, CPSS
- Interview with Andrea Morris: Statewide Trainer, Supervisor & Consultant
- Interview with Monica Mathes, CPSS at RHA
Comments