Stories From The Road

SAMHSA's Recovery-to-Practice Webinar on Spirituality

Important Statistics

According to a survey done in 2010 by the California Mental Health & Spirituality Initiative on behalf of consumers and their families and they discovered:

• 79 percent said spirituality was important to their mental health
• 74 percent wanted their mental health-care providers to discuss spiritual concerns with them upon request
• 98 percent agreed or strongly agreed that “spirituality is an important element of multicultural competence for mental health providers”

SAMHSA's Webinar "Understanding and Building on Culture and Spirituality in Recovery-Oriented Practice"  discussed how spirituality is important in our sense of recovery.  They  talk about  spirituality in assessment and care within behavioral health.  They show how spirituality is a vital part of a person's culture and it is important in light of cultural competency to understand each person's culture and worldview. 

Download Spirituality Webinar <---from SAMHSA

Download Spritiuality Powerpoint<----from SAMHSA

 

 

Sensitivity

Rev. Laura L. Mancuso, M.S., CRC/CPRP who is an Interfaith Chaplain spoke about the following important items related to spirituality and cultural competency

• Focusing on sharing and learning from each other
• Focus on where your spirit dwells in your body
• The difficulty in talking about spirituality
• How do we begin a conversation about it
• The FICA Questions of Spiritual Assessment
• The HOPE Questions for spiritual assessment
• How can you bring Presence to the conversation
• Example of a spiritual assessment tool:  Spiritual Initiative Postcard

Spirituality

Dolores Subia BigFoot, Ph.D. who is the Director, Indian Country Child Trauma Center and the Project Making Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and she presented examples of sacred teachings of indigenous peoples that might have a powerful impact on one's recovery such as:

• Know that you are Sacred
• Know that you are Honored
• Know that you are Prayed For
• Know that you have Choices
• Know That You Have A Name

Recovery

Gladys Christian, CPSS who was the President, National Association of Peer Specialists and a Certified Peer Support Specialist shares the power of her own sense of spirituality and the central role that it played in her own recovery.

• The Will to Recover
• A culture of love, support, value, and opportunities for growth
• Faith Makes All Things Possible

This webinar offers a beginning map in how spirituality and cultural competence overlap, interact and relate.  Spirituality typically has been omitted in the past or this dimensions has been totally eliminated from the discussion too long.

It is time for us as peers to embrace rather than ignore this reality and to see it as a powerful dimension for recovery for ourselves and for those that we support.

 

 You May Also Like

• SAMHSA Webinar: Promoting Recovery Through Psychological and Social Means
• SAMHSA Webinar: Person-Centered Planning
• SAMHSA Webinar: Engagement and Outreach
• SAMHSA's Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
• SAMHSA's Publication: The Role of Faith- and Community-Based Systems in Addiction Treatment and Recovery

Book Review: Person-Centered Recovery Planner for Adults with Serious Mental Illness

I wanted to share a resource that I have found helpful that comes closer to being person-centered and closer to a recovery-orientation.  It is Person-Centered Recovery Planner for Adults with Serious Mental Illness by Catherine N Dulmus Professor and Associate Dean for Research of the School of Social at the University of Buffalo NY and Bruce Nisbet MD at Kroser Keystone Health Systems in PA.  --(Note: phrase mental health challenges preferred).

Providing a succinct overview of the historical roots, philosophy, and practice of person-centered recovery, Person-Centered Recovery Planner for Adults with Serious Mental Illness is organized around the three stages of recovery—Beginnings, Moving Forward, and Leaving Your Practitioner Behind—yet still allows both the individual and practitioner to revisit any of the three stages during the ebb and flow of an individual's recovery journey.

Sample recovery plans are included, covering the individual's status, personal priorities, short-term objectives, and recovery steps, and are organized around common recovery goals including:

• Self-advocacy
• Family relationships
• Health and wellness
• Community involvement
• Stress management
• Relapse prevention
• Personal crisis planning
• Transportation
• Social relationships
• Meaningful activities
• Life skills

A companion CD-ROM provides all of the plans found in the book in an easily customizable word-processing format. Person-Centered Recovery Planner for Adults with Serious Mental Illness assists practitioners in becoming effective person-centered facilitators and advocates for recovery that meaningfully supports individuals in achieving their hopes and dreams.

To find out more about the planner click here.

Creative Ways to Assess Levels of Need and Supports in the Field

This is a STAR CHART (see link below) from Mary O'Hagan's website at Peer Zone to be a wonderful

communication tool and overview about  the different areas that a Peer Support Specialist focuses

 their attention and energies as they help others move forward in their recovery. You could 

use this tool to assess the levels of support needed in any area and get a score in each area. Possibly 

using a scale from 1 to 5 such as:

1-Nothing  2-Beginning stages  3-Needs enhancing  4-Moving Forward  5-Fully utilizing

These are the kinds of questions that you might ask to determine what the needs are and where they are greatest 

from each point along the star:

SELF-ESTEEM (Person-Centered Planning & Mental Health Needs): Would you like support in getting a 

better understanding of your hopes, dreams, strengths and abilities? Would you like assistance in 

identifying the most effective mental health and substance abuse supports available to you? 

(Score: At what level do you now have these supports in place?)

ENJOYMENT (Meaningful Activity Needs): Would you like assistance in identifying and accessing

 enriching activities and opportunities for enjoyment? (Score: At what level do you have these 

supports in place?)

PERSONAL MEANING (Spiritual Needs): Would you like support in developing a greater sense of

 meaning, purpose and hope? (Score: At what level do you have these supports in place?) 

CONTROL OVER LIFE (Self-Advocacy & Legal Service Needs): Would you like assistance with

 increasing your ability to communicate your needs and advice in removing the barriers that keep 

you from achieving your recovery goals?  (Score: At what level do you have these supports in place?)

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING (Health & Wellness; Stress Management; Relapse Prevention; Personal 

Crisis Planning): Would you like support in achieving better health and wellness; reducing stress; 

avoiding crisis and preventing relapse? (Score: At what level do you have these supports in place?)

CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS (Family Relationship Needs): Would you like support with getting in contact

 with, enhancing or  re-structuring your family relationships to assist you in your recovery? (Score: At what level 

do you have these supports in place?)

COMMUNITY BELONGING (Community Involvement Needs): Would you like assistance in expanding 

your life experiences in the community and accessing opportunities for enrichment and meaning consistent 

with your recovery goals?  (Score: At what level do you have these supports in place?)

SUPPORT FROM OTHERS (Social Relationship Needs): Would you like support in improving your social 

relationships to have a positive impact on your life and recovery? (Score: At what level do you have these 

supports in place?)

CONTRIBUTION TO OTHERS (Employment & Volunteer Needs): Would you like assistance in gaining

 meaningful employment or having opportunities to contribute to the lives of others in a positive way? 

(Score: At what level do you have these supports in place?)

INCOME (Financial Stability Needs): Would you like assistance in getting financial knowledge to get greater 

control over your financial resources? (Score: At what level do you have these supports in place?)

HOUSING (Residential Needs): Would you like assistance in securing and maintaining safe, secure and 

affordable housing that are consistent with your recovery goals? (Score: At what level do you have these 

supports in place?)

SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT (Educational & Life Skill Development Needs): Would you like support with

 increasing your learning opportunities for both employment and enrichment? (Score: At what level do 

you have these supports in place?)

I hope you find this tool helpful for better assessment of the needs of the individuals that you daily

 support and as a creative tool for communication and prioritization of Peer Support activities in the field.

Copy of Peer Zone Star Chart