MHAAO is an inclusive peer-run organization dedicated to self-direction
honoring the voice of lived experience
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We have a lot to Celebrate here at MHAAO!
- Congrats to Marianne for earning her CADC1 Certification!
- Congrats to Roman for graduating from PCC with his AA!
- Congrats to Elmer on his new granddaughter!
- Congrats to Janie on her new granddaughter!
- And a BIG CONGRATS to Molly, Reina, and Roumaldo for celebrating 4 years, 9 years, and 12 years in recovery, respectively! You all are truly an inspiration!
If
YOU
have something to celebrate, let us know!
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Admin:
- The deadline to adjust benefits is April 30th
Equity Initiative:
- MHAAO was approved for Technical Assistance from BRSS TACS to support our Equity Initiative! Sunny will be working with a Project Coordinator from the National Council for Behavioral Health
- The DEI Committee meetings have been paused for the moment, but will regroup in June.
- In the meantime, Sunny will be scheduling a few debriefing sessions with a facilitator to unpack any feelings generated by the two-day training in January.
Office Yoga Classes:
- Kasey Perdue, MHAAO Admin Assistant, is a Certified yoga instructor and has generously offered to lead staff yoga classes at the MHAAO Hancock office!
- Tuesday, April 23rd at 10 am is our next yoga class!
Wellness Room:
- Due to all of our new growth, we have converted the Wellness Room into desperately needed office space. We have created a sitting area in the EVOLVE space.
- We are looking for additional office space to support our growth, so please be patient with us while we look!
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- MHAAO has awarded over 40 scholarships this year in partnership with MAAPPs and Washington County, as well a independently!
- The full draft of the program will be released mid-April.
- We have 15 sponsors this year!
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- We are hiring for TC-911
- Donita and Cee did a very successful presentation on peer support for Paramedics conference.
- Elmer is moving to MCMHC program manager, leaving room for another 1.0 FTE in Clackamas County.
- Clackamas Opioid Overdose Survivor program is off the ground, Reina Bower is hired on as manager and Grace Jo will be the PSS.
- We will be starting HB4143 program in MC with 4 new 1.0 FTE PSS positions (including Tee Branch)
- Bryan Corely has filled the vacant spot for the JOIN Program.
- All other programs are looking strong!!
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- Planning is underway for annual summit in eastern Oregon
- Questions have been compiled for statewide peer workforce needs assessment and are under review by OPDSCo Advisory & Evaluation Committee
- Monthly OPDSConnect and Steering Committee meetings are ongoing!
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- Peer Wellness Specialist trainings happened in both February and March, with upcoming trainings in May and July
- We contracted with Braunwynn Franklin to be co-facilitator with Jessica for the March training
- Kaity McCraw was a guest speaker on peer support for the LGBTQ+ community at the March PWS Training and will continue with this component moving forward
- WorkSystems has been a great resource for scholarships
- PWS training is now approved for the CRM certification!
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- Peerlink has returned to being its own department and Donita Diamata is the Department Director.
- Fawn and Teana joined the Peerlink team!
- Jessica Carroll has accepted the position of Lead Project Coordinator as of February 1, 2019!
- TOHGE, the Guam-based peer organization that Peerlink has been supporting has contracted with Peerlink to provide support and training to their neighbors in Northern Mariana Islands.
- Jessica Carroll and Donita Diamata traveled to Las Vegas on March 1st to provide support and training to the peer organization, Peer Alliance of Nevada.
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- Multiple outreach meetings and presentations have occurred with organizations (Urban League, ROCC, Yamhill County, Clackamas County, etc) with several more scheduled (4D, Cedar Hills, WomenFirst)
- Presentation was held at Clackamas Peer Advisory Council
- March Facilitator training successful! Adrienne facilitated PeerZone Facilitator training last week: great feedback received and 10 facilitators were licensed.
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Washington County Coordination
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- Presentation given on peer delivered services to Health Careers NW in Hillsboro
- Coordinator is no longer one person position - is shared across several team members as all contribute to efforts
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- Several meetings have happened between contractor UW, evaluator, and MHAAO
- First two Community of Practices (CoP) held on March 7th
- Adrienne presented on CoPs at MHTTC Advisory Board
- Currently recruiting for both monthly peer support specialists and supervisors of peer support specialists CoPs for region 10 (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska)
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Reina Bower, Program Manager of the Opiate Survivor Network
!
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"The role peer support has played in my journey to recovery is the unrelenting support as needed as well as an understanding that all have traveled this road before through different outlets and avenues.
My greatest strength as a peer support specialist is my canny ability to connect with those in recovery and to grasp rapid and continuous rapport with those in recovery, while being looked upon as approachable and true to my word.
I write inspirational, hip-hop, and gospel poetry. The role poetry plays in my recovery is it gives me a outlet to appreciate my humble beginnings and the work of recovery via verbal and/or written expression."
-Bryan Corley, Peer Support Specialist for JOIN
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Roumaldo Guajardo, Washington County Jail Peer Mentor, attended a peer retreat, and said this of the experience:
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"It was a time of brotherly love and friendships; a time of building new relationships and getting in touch with your higher power. My peers got to experience the feeling of having fun without drugs and eating so much you felt like you wanted to explode was what my peers got to experience. Some went fishing others heard the message of recovery each building a strong foundation for their personal recovery."
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If you have stories about yourself or a peer that you would like to have featured in the newsletter, on our blog, or on our social media, please email kmccraw@mhaoforegon.org
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