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A HOLISTIC, PEER-LED APPROACH
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Advocacy Unlimited, Inc.
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Rocky Hill, CT 06067
9am-5pm
(860) 505-7581
advocacyunlimited.org
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Join Rise Be
2075
Silas Deane Hwy.
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
9am-5pm
(855) 646-7366
joinrisebe.org
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Toivo Center
1477 Park St.
Suite 102
Hartford, CT 06106
9am-5pm
(860) 296-2338
toivocenter.org
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Featured Article: Peer recovery groups at odds with DMHAS over certification By Marc E. Fitch
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Peer recovery groups at odds with DMHAS over certification
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Connecticut’s peer recovery organizations have tried for years to get Medicaid reimbursement for their services, but now they are opposing a bill to do just that, arguing that the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is implementing a top-down credentialing process with little input from the very workers and organizations who would be required to get the certification.
House Bill 7023 would require the Department of Social Services, which oversees Medicaid, to “provide Medicaid reimbursement to peer support specialists for such services.” A peer support specialist is defined in the legislation as someone who “may have lived experience in recovering from mental illness or substance use disorder and is certified to provide peer recovery support under a program administered by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.”
The bill, introduced by the Human Services Committee, is up for a public hearing Thursday, but already peer recovery advocates and organizations are lining up against it, saying the bill lacks clarity and understanding of what a peer recovery specialist is; the state administered credentialing program is vague; that there are no protections for current peer specialists who largely work for minimum wage, and that there is no safeguarding peer organizations from grant reductions by DMHAS should they get Medicaid reimbursement.
“As seen with other Medicaid reimbursement service types, when Medicaid reimbursement is achieved by the state, previously designated grant funding is re-allocated to support other priorities of the agency,” wrote Scott Forrest, Community Bridger administrator for Advocacy Unlimited, a peer recovery organization. “Given the wage gap and lack of prioritization of peer recovery services, there is a strong probability that the peer recovery workforce will face increased productivity expectations without fair compensation.”
While much of this may be worked out through the public hearing process – the legislation is only a proposal at this point – some peer recovery specialists and organizations are concerned they are being forced into a credentialing and payment process that could ultimately hurt them more than help them.
“Without provisions for job protections, there is a high probability that currently employed specialists are at risk of job loss due to the unknown mandates for new credentialing of the peer recovery workforce being pushed through by DMHAS,” wrote Emma James Burke, recovery support specialist program administrator for Advocacy Unlimited.
Peer support specialists are those with lived experience in dealing with mental health and addiction issues and use their experience to help guide others toward recovery outside of a clinical setting. That means peer support specialists save money for the state, but without a mechanism to be reimbursed by Medicaid their pay is reliant on grants. In order to create a Medicaid reimbursement mechanism, however, there must be some agreed-upon credentialing system.
Connecticut already has training programs and certification for peer support specialists through organizations like Advocacy Unlimited and Connecticut’s Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR). There is also certification for peer recovery through the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium, but other certifications may only be recognized in other states.
DMHAS seeks to bring peer certification all under one roof through a single set of requirements, and a single credentialing organization – the Connecticut Certification Board, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “protecting the public through competency-based credentialing, training and promoting ethical practice by [substance use disorder] professionals,” according to their website.
“The goal is to ensure that one standardized set of Peer Principles, Core Competencies and Code of Ethics are endorsed statewide and is in alignment with what the State of Connecticut, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Association for Addiction Professionals National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, and other states’ best practices,” the Office of Recovery Community Affairs (ORCA), a division of DMHAS, states on its website.
ORCA announced a “newly created Certified Recovery Peer Professional credential” for “individuals trained by any of the DMHAS-approved Peer Training Organizations.” The organization has held two “grandparenting” virtual town halls to answer questions by the peer support community. However, what that certification by CCB entails – and even whether CCB is the best organization to administer certification – is where disagreement begins.
Some peer recovery organizations and advocates argue they will now be required to obtain state certification under guidelines and requirements they were not permitted to weigh in on despite being the very people and organizations who spearheaded peer recovery in Connecticut.
In 2021, the General Assembly passed a bill to create a task force to examine how to certify and pay for peer services, but some legislative leaders never made their required appointments and the task force died without ever having a meeting. DMHAS, however, moved forward on its own, creating two committees to develop a statewide certification process, culminating with the Certified Recovery Peer Professional credential.
Although some peer recovery specialists served on those committees, by and large, the peer community felt left out of the process because the task force was never allowed to do its work and was supplanted by DHMAS.
Similar bills for peer service Medicaid reimbursement failed to pass out of committee in 2023. In 2024, the peer recovery community notched a small legislative victory, getting the first peer-run respite home established in Connecticut, after a similar tug of war with the DMHAS over where such homes would be placed and how they would be run.
Some of the same nonprofit peer recovery advocates originally appointed to the task force are now critical of HB 7023 and the top-down approach by DHMAS, emailing the peer community to testify in opposition; they want the Medicaid reimbursement, but with protections, and they want the task force reconvened.
“As this bill is written today, the peer recovery workforce opposes this legislation,” Forrest writes in testimony. “However, we are open to exploring Medicaid Reimbursement in the future. Our ask is that you do not vote this bill out of committee and instead convene the Taskforce to Study Peer Services that was appointed in 2021. That taskforce was never convened.”
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Engage in our continuing education for ongoing personal and professional development. Learn to connect with participants and peers through our interactive seminars and webinars. Explore new approaches to self-care and holistic practices in our peer forums.
Click here to read our community informed consent statement: INFORMED CONSENT
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BREATHWORK CLASSES:
(IN PERSON & VIRTUAL)
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Self Care Strategies for RSS | | |
Beyond Binary: Peer Forum | | |
Supporting Recovery During the Transition to Adulthood | | |
Breathwork Facilitator Training | | |
Meet Up With the Bridger Program | | |
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YOUNG ADULT WARMLINE | PHONE-BASED PEER SUPPORT
855-646-7366 | 7 Days a week | 12pm-9pm
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Thoughts of suicide and attempts are among the most marginalized human experiences. The experience itself is isolating, and many people with suicidal urges carry shame about their feelings. At Alt2Su our aim is not only to provide support, but to take the shame and stigma off of these experiences. Alt2su takes a different perspective than traditional Suicide Prevention. There is no referral or assessment process. There is no formal attendance taken at any group. This is a safe space for people to share their experiences without fear of shame, stigma, or hospitalization. To learn more about our group values click the link above to view our website. | |
GROUP TIMES
Hartford In-Person Group
Meets: Wednesdays from 5:00-6:30pm
Location: Toivo
1477 Park St, Suite 102, Hartford
Contact: Toivo- connect@toivocenter.org
Zoom Monday Group
Meets: Mondays from 3:30-5:00pm
For Zoom link contact us at- info@advocacyunlimited.org
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CT HEARING VOICES NETWORK | | | |
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The CT Hearing Voices Network provides statewide support for people who hear voices or have other alternative experiences. CTHVN group times can be subject to change throughout the month. Updated times and dates can be found on the CTHVN webpages linked below. | |
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VIRTUAL GROUPS
To find the virtual group that will work best for you and your schedule please visit cthvn.org/virtual.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY GROUP
This group's purpose is to support friends and family of voice-hearers. To learn more please visit cthvn.org/friends-and-family.
IN PERSON GROUPS
CTHVN is excited to announce several new in person groups beginning soon! View more information below or visit cthvn.org/find-a-group to find the nearest in person group to you.
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MAASTRICHT APPROACH PROJECT | | |
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The Maastricht Approach Project (MAP) is a community of informed supporters working together to normalize and embrace the full spectrum of human experiences | |
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Learn skills to cope and negotiate with voices to build a more positive relationship with the voices.
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Research shows that control over voices is possible and benefits clinical outcomes.[i]
- Voice hearers can learn to have pride in their experience and to give their voices personal and positive meaning.
- Learn to no longer be dominated by ones voices, and make their own choices.
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PARTICIPATE IN A MAP INTERVIEW | |
The Maastricht Interview is a questionnaire that includes questions related to the experience of voice hearing and paranoia.
The interview is a 1:1 approach, and conducted between 6-8 sessions.
The interview encourages the participant to explore the experience of voice hearing, built trust, openness, and understanding in their own experience. This occurs in a structured and supportive environment, led by trained Maastricht’s Guides.
The outcome is a document written fully in the words of the participant, outlines their unique lived experience, as well as identified points of interest to work towards personal recovery.
The act of documenting ones experience can be validating to the Voice Hearer. With continued conversation, ultimately reducing internalized stigma, and promoting social engagement.
For More Information:
Email info@advocacyunlimited.org
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[i] Mourgues, et. al. (2022). Measuring Voluntary Control Over Hallucinations: The Yale Control Over Perceptual Experiences (COPE) Scales. Schizophrenia bulletin, 48(3), 673–683. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbab144
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CONNECT WITH A COMMUNITY BRIDGER | |
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The Bridger Program at Advocacy Unlimited Inc. provides non-clinical, person-centered support to adults statewide whose lives have been affected by psychiatry, trauma and/or addiction.
The Bridger Team is made up of individuals who draw from their own diverse lived experiences, coupled with the principles of Intentional Peer Support and their training as Recovery Support Specialist to build authentic, safe relationships defined by mutual trust, respect and personal agency. Engagement in the Bridger Program is 100% voluntary.
For more information contact us at:
860-505-7581 | info@advocacyunlimited.org
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YOUNG ADULTS | JOIN RISE BE | | |
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AN EMERGING ADULT RECOVERY INITIATIVE | We are a grant funded peer-led initiative built by young people for young people. We are based in New Britain, Connecticut and travel statewide to create space through presentations, workshops, and peer-groups. We our shared lived experience so others feel comfortable to do the same. We are here to influence positive change across our current mental health system and within our communities. Through our effort we cultivate the belief that recovery is possible and we all have the capacity to achieve self-defined success. | |
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
March 6
April 3
May 2
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YOUNG ADULT ADVISORY BOARD EVERY FIRST THURSDAY | 11AM-1PM | |
A space for young adults from across Connecticut to share, connect and use our collective experiences to improve the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services' young adult programming.
During meetings, we connect, share, and plan statewide recovery and leadership events. We are currently planning the 2023 Young Adult Summer Funfest.
TO REGISTER EMAIL CONNECT@JOINRISEBE.ORG
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Our Warmline offers statewide phone-based peer support for young adults.
Similar to hotlines, staff connect callers to community resources, hold space, and inspire callers to step forward and towards a life of self-defined purpose.
Callers may be feeling burnout or overwhelmed, recovering from trauma, or seeking a friend - all are welcome to call to connect with a peer today!
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OPERATORS
ARE AVAILABLE
EVERYDAY
12PM-9PM
1-855-6-467-3669
or 1-855-6-HOPENOW
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HOLISTIC STRESS MANAGEMENT | Toivo is a peer-led initiative that includes statewide classes, workshops and a center for holistic healing and stress management located in Hartford, Connecticut. To Learn more visit the Toivo website HERE | | |
Check out a few of the things coming up at the Toivo center. View the full calendar by clicking the link below to see all of Toivo's offerings! | |
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The shared purpose of PAN
We are a group of people whose lives have been devastated by the mental health and addiction service system of Connecticut. People are suffering. People are seeking help from an expensive, broken system that is not meeting their needs. We must do better. Our intention is to promote approaches that support people to move through emotional distress. Our hope is that you will join us and take action.
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Look Through A Few Relevant Listings! | |
Toivo Program Manager
Employment Type: Full-Time
Company: Advocacy Unlimited
Location: Hartford, CT
The Toivo Program Manager is responsible for the success and advancement of the Toivo initiative. This role involves organizing, scheduling, and overseeing Toivo Center in-house classes and Toivo Community classes at DMHAS sites according to contractual deliverables while contributing to monthly in-house and community classes.
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JRB Outreach Specialist
Employment Type: Full-Time
Company: Advocacy Unlimited
Location: Rocky Hill, CT
The Outreach Specialist is responsible for visiting all 18 DMHAS YAS service sites quarterly, collaborating with the DMHAS YAS OOC Liaison, attending relevant meetings, and keeping accurate records that adhere to accountability standards. Additionally, the Outreach Specialist will create monthly newsletters, co-lead advisory board meetings, co-present at trainings, organize leadership trainings three times a year, assist in organizing key events like the Young Adult Leadership Summit, and other duties as assigned.
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Community Bridger
Employment Type: Full-Time
Company: Advocacy Unlimited
Location: Rocky Hill, CT
The position of Community Bridger is based in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, with a statewide travel requirement. Community Bridgers offer support to people aged eighteen and older who are currently involved or at risk for being involved in the criminal justice or probate court system.
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Job And Volunteer Openings at Fireside Project | Fireside Project provides free, confidential peer-to-peer support by phone and SMS to people during and after their psychedelic experiences. | |
Job openings at The Village | The Village has a wide variety of job opportunities available in a database which is regularly updated. | |
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Multiple Opportunities: CMHA | Multiple positions for per diem Residential Monitors at CMHA in locations across the state! Check out their list. | |
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Multiple Opportunities: Mental Health Connecticut, Inc | Multiple opportunities with Mental Health Connecticut, Inc in locations across the state! Check out their list. | |
Multiple Opportunities: CommuniCare CT | |
CommuniCare CT has multiple job opportunities open! Click the link below to see their current listings.
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CCAR Hiring Multiple Positions | |
CCAR Is currently hiring for multiple positions. The ideal applicants will be enthusiastic, extremely well-organized, and passionate about supporting people in recovery.
A cover letter is required. Resumes without cover letter will not be considered.
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Looking for a job where you can support others through your own lived experiences?
We regularly update the Job Opportunities page on our website.
Check it out here!
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Got an Peer Opening?
Know of a job opportunity available? Please let us know, and we'll get the word out to our network of qualified applicants.
Email: info@advocacyunlimited.org
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CT Support Group, formerly TurningPointCT, provides peer-led support for teens and young adults in Connecticut. Our goal is to provide an inclusive, trauma-informed space that prioritizes consent, choice, and mutual respect where young people can connect, share experiences, and build a supportive community. We've recently launched our Discord Server, where young people can access direct peer support and connect with one another. Please scan the QR code on the flyer or click below to join! | |
The Understanding Control Over Voice-Hearing Experiences Project By The Yale COPE Project | | |
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The COPE II Project at Yale Home | Yale COPE Project
The COPE II Project seeks to understand the methods some voice hearers use to control onset and offset of their voices. Information gathered will be used to develop holistic treatments for voice hearers who currently do not have this control. Stipend of up to $830 for people who complete the subject, with the possibility of travel reimbursement. COPE II is looking for the following people:
- Voice hearer with a psychosis spectrum diagnosis
- Voice hearer without a psychosis spectrum diagnosis
- Person with psychosis spectrum diagnosis who does not hear voices
- Person without a psychosis spectrum diagnosis who does not hear voices
If you are interested in participating, follow the link below to fill out the pre-screening form. For more information on what participating in the study requires read the full explanation below under "what to expect."
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The CONVOKE Study is a clinical research study, actively recruiting participants. The study will look at 2 mobile applications (apps) to see if they can treat people with negative schizophrenia symptoms. Negative symptoms may include feeling no motivation, desire to socialize, or interest in the things that you used to enjoy.
The study will last for about 22 weeks, and will include 4 study center visits for assessments and 3 telephone calls. There is a study center located in Hartford and in Cromwell. After the main study, you may be offered an option to take part in a 20-week extension study.
Some basic requirements to join the study:
● Are located in the U.S. only
● Are 18 years or older
● Are the sole user of a smartphone
● Have a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia
● Have been taking antipsychotic medication for at least 12 weeks
● Are fluent in written and spoken English
To read more information and see if you are eligible, please click HERE. Click the link below to view the full informational brochure for this study.
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January 21, 2025: Sex, Drugs, Harm Reduction | Caty Simon
How do decriminalizing drug use and sex work advance mad liberation? What lessons can psychiatric survivors learn from the harm reduction movement? Caty Simon’s activist leadership spans the low-income rights, psychiatric survivors, sex worker, and drug users union movements, and she was a key organizer at Freedom Center in Western Massachusetts. Caty is on the leadership team of National Survivors Union (NSU), the US drug users union; is a founding co-organizer of Whose Corner Is It Anyway, a mutual aid group by and for low-income, street, and survival sex workers who use opioids and/or stimulants and/or experience housing insecurity; and leads Narcofeminism Storyshare, a collaborative autobiographical story development and key publics training stigma reduction project at NC Survivors Union, the flagship affiliate group of NSU. Caty is currently a research assistant at the Yale School of Medicine, and in 2023 received the International Drug Policy Reform Conference’s Alfred R. Lindesmith Award. Caty reunites with longtime colleagues and Madness Radio co-hosts Jacks McNamara and Will Hall to talk about psychiatric incarceration and her 20 years experience in the harm reduction movement for drug user, sex worker, and mad people liberation.
LISTEN HERE
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National Paranoia Network | |
The Paranoia Network was originally launched in 2004. Run by Peter Bullimore, Kate Crawford and Shaun Hunt, the organization aims to raise awareness of how disabling paranoia can be, and to breakdown social taboos.
Read A tribute to Peter Bullimore
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The Wildflower Alliance supports healing and empowerment for our broader communities and people who have been impacted by psychiatric diagnosis, trauma, extreme states, homelessness, problems with substances and other life-interrupting challenges. | Wildflower Alliance Website: wildfloweralliance.org | |
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MADNESS NETWORK NEWS
Madness Network News is dedicated to the interchange of energy and support of mad people and psychiatric survivors. Our work is rooted in psychiatric abolition and mad liberation movements, and we are committed to fighting against psychiatric oppression and violence everywhere.
BLOG: Anti-psychiatry vs. Psychiatric Abolition
BY: Róisín
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Open everyday 11:00 am - 11:00 pm PT.
The Psychedelic Peer Support Line is staffed by rigorously trained, compassionate, supportive volunteers from diverse backgrounds who listen deeply and from a place of non-judgment.
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Alcoholics Anonymous is a worldwide fellowship of people who help each other to stay sober. They offer the same help to anyone who has a drinking problem and wants to do something about it. Since they are all alcoholics themselves, they have a special understanding of each other. They know what the illness feels like – and they have learned how to recover from it in AA.
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The CT Cross Disability Lifespan Alliance is a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations that advocate for the full inclusion and participation of all people with disabilities in their communities. The CCDLA meets every other month to share resources, promote issues of importance and to advocate for solutions that improve the quality of lives for people with disabilities. In addition, the Alliance hosts Policy calls every other week to address policy issues at the local, state, and national levels. | |
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RIPPLE is a small collective of people who have lived experience with mental health and/or addiction challenges. Their mission is to empower their peers and use their voices to educate, inform, and inspire new leaders in the community. They aim to bring new and innovative ideas to the recovery process for the benefit of all.
RIPPLE has a comprehensive list of resources in Connecticut, organized by need and county.
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Learn About:
-The opioid epidemic
-How to prevent an overdose
-How to recognize warning signs & symptoms
-How to administer Narcan (Naloxone)
-Current protective legislation in CT
-Local resources & services
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The Gloria House Peer Respite | The Gloria House is a 4 Bedroom residential peer respite home located in New Britain, CT. The house is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – by peers who identify as having direct lived experience with mental health, addiction and/ or trauma. The Gloria House offers voluntarily, short-term respite services as an alternative to traditional psychiatric stays. | |
Inner Compass Initiative helps people make more informed choices about psychiatric diagnoses and drugs and build community with like-minded others thinking critically about today's mental health industry. We work to support individuals to engage in curious, critical, independent self-education and inner exploration, and collectively, to help develop more interconnected, empowered and resilient grassroots communities. | |
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DMHAS Mental Health Bed Website | A new project listing open beds, including 45 state-operated and private non-profit agencies, covering six types of programs and more than 1700 beds. Programs will be updating this site when there is a change in availability and at least weekly. | | |
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Helping Hands: A Resource Guide for Families With Loved Ones In Prison | Prison Families Alliance (PFA) is committed to improving the lives of families and children who have loved ones in the criminal justice system. | | |
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VETERAN PEER SUPPORT SERVICES
Peer support services help Veterans who are using mental health treatment services in VHA. Any Veteran can have mental health problems, trouble with addictions, or other related problems. These can all negatively affect their daily living and personal wellness. Peer Specialists are employees who are Veterans. They have personally experienced similar life challenges to the Veterans who are using mental health services in VHA.
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Late-Night Support Meetings | |
Are you a night owl?
Join RIPPLE for their late-night support groups on zoom, from 10pm-12am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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Eating Disorder Support Lines | |
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Looking for Shelter? Call 2-1-1 Press 3, then 1 to speak with a housing specialist.
As of 11/17/2014 all requests for shelter beds must be made through 2-1-1
Safelink users call 1-800-203-1234
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Thanks for reading, and see you next month! | | | | |
