Our Mission Statement: MHAAO is an inclusive peer-run organization
dedicated to self-direction honoring the voice of lived experience
|
|
Congrats to Emily Nelson (formerly Privatsky) for getting married on October 17th! She did a Halloween-themed wedding
Congrats to LaRae Miller for celebrating 3 years in recovery on Friday, November 6th!
Congrats to Rachelle Ross for coming up on 11 years in recovery on November 10th and for celebrating 1 year at MHAAO on 11/26!
Congrats to Tara Prince for closing in on 3 years in recovery on November 25th!
Congrats to Roman Becerra, Melinda Hicks, Kaity Riordan, and Kasey Perdue for all celebrating 2 years with MHAAO this October!
Congrats to Michelle Markus for celebrating 2 years with MHAAO at the beginning of November!
Congrats to Bill Beall for celebrating 4 years with MHAAO this October!
|
|
Zane Macziewski
Peer Support Specialist for Washington County Shelter Program
|
|
What drew you to the peer movement?
With my lived experience I want to give back to my community and help peers.
What about our organization most excites you and/or is there anything you are looking forward to in your new role?
Having had peer mentors before in my past and after taking the training I saw what mentorship really was which gave me more desire to become a peer support specialist with this company. After seeing how MHAAO helps our community I am so glad to be on that team. Moving in the direction of what i really want to do in life.
What do you do for self-care?
I like to build things, spend time with my family, take vacations and service work with CRIM-ANON.
|
|
Chantelle Volk
Peer Support Specialist for Clackamas Suicide Prevention
|
What drew you to the peer movement?
I began my career in the field wanting to become a drug and alcohol counselor, while on this venture, I came across peer support and immediately felt drawn to the peer movement. I have found that my heart is more in wanting to walk alongside and support people, not "treat" or diagnose them.
What about our organization most excites you and/or is there anything you are looking forward to in your new role?
I knew I wanted to work with MAHAO the day I set foot in the door for Peer Wellness Training. The vibe. The love. The acceptance. And the work that is being done to break the stigma around mental health and addiction! I am excited to provide peer support because it is something that I did not have in my early recovery and I wished that I had had it. I believe recovery is a unique and personal journey to each person and I look forward to supporting others to find their path. It is both a blessing and an honor to be a part of MHAAO.
|
|
|
What do you do for self-care?
Self care is so important! Whether elaborate or not. I love self care and it has become a huge part of my Recovery! I start my morning with a meditation and I also read the daily passage from a book called The Language Of Letting Go (it was a gift from my Sponsor) every morning. One of my favorite self care practices is Grounding. Like literally bare feet on the ground. I love to be barefoot and connect with the earth. Sometimes my self care looks like 5 minutes just sitting with myself and sometimes it is like a hot bath or a pedicure.
|
|
Rhiannon Miller
Peer Support Specialist for Kaiser Ambulatory Program
|
|
What drew you to the peer movement?
I was drawn to the peer movement by my own personal experience with peer support in early recovery. My relationship with my mentor was the first example I had with someone in recovery that had been where I had been and achieved success and happiness in their life.
What about our organization most excites you and/or is there anything you are looking forward to in your new role?
In MHAAO and the peer movement is changing the stigma that has kept people that struggle with mental health and addiction oppressed for so long. I am so honored to be a part of It.
What do you do for self-care?
For self-care I do self-development work with my sponsor. I like to go kayaking and spend time at the lake with my friends and family.
|
|
Roman Becerra,
Peer Wellness Specialist for Clackamas County, shared three peer success stories this month!
"One of my peers just moved into an apartment with a section 8 voucher in July of this year and has just had his 2 boys returned to him after 4 years in court!"
"Another one of my peers has been clean and sober for over 200 days, recently graduated outpatient treatment, and will be getting his children returned to him 11/10!"
"Another one of my peers will be graduating college with a BA in Human Resource Management on 12/8!"
|
|
|
Kudos to you, Roman, for providing amazing peer support and for helping your peers reach their goals! |
|
|
|
Janie Gullickson,
Executive Director for MHAAO
|
"We’re really proud of the campaign we ran to stop the criminal punishment of addiction in Oregon! It has been an incredible journey, first gathering over 175,000 signatures during a pandemic to get this measure on the ballot, and then building one of the biggest coalitions of support that any Oregon ballot measure has ever seen. It has been so heartening to see such a diverse group of support come together from across the state to demand a better, more humane, more just approach to addiction in Oregon.
I know that what Oregon Voters have done here is going to have a momentous, positive impact on our community, on individuals, and families. Just as active addiction impacts the lives of everyone who loves the person with the addiction, so does recovery heal not just the person with addiction, but their loved ones too.
|
|
With Measure 110 we’ve made that path to recovery and healing more available to more families. I think our whole community is going to end up being stronger and more resilient as a result of people having increased access to drug treatment and recovery support services." |
|
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative Update:
- The DEI committee created a community feedback form for feedback on DEI issues.
- The DEI committee is also creating a training on Denouncing White Supremacy (Working title).
- November is Native American Heritage Month! Take the opportunity to read some books by Native American authors!
|
|
Trauma-informed Care Initiative Update:
- Kristin has been working towards scheduling two organizational training with community partners.
- Kristin is working on an outline for the ProQol and Parallel process for MHAAO’s policies and procedures.
|
|
Peerpocalypse:
- Peerpocalypse has picked a theme for the year. “Nothing About Us Without Us: Strengthening Our Voices."
- We have chosen our keynote speakers and will be reaching out to check availability.
- The workshop request for proposals form has been published and we are now accepting proposals.
- The Peerpocalypse Planning Committee will be nominating and selecting the 2021 Peer Leader of the Year.
|
|
EVOLVE Peer Delivered Services:
- We have made 5 recovery link videos for staff to use in guiding them through the different phases of documentation.
- We moved Rachelle and Sean from OHSU Impact and HBBR to Multnomah Co. Jail programs, respectively.
- All three Kaiser positions are filled.
- We have a new Temporary Washington Co Shelter programs and have on-boarded new staff members for this program.
- Directors worked with the HR manager to clarify and streamline the Annual review process.
- We have hired a PSS for Northwest Housing Alternatives and Blanchet House.
- Amee Mcfee and Nathaniel Wright both accepted positions outside of MHAAO and we wish them all the best!
|
|
Pathway Home:
- Started hiring process for 2 case managers, 1 project coordinator, and 5 PSS/CRM.
- Completed New Grantee Orientation Series.
|
|
OPTIC
- Emily and Molly are facilitating online PWS training part 2 to complete our first-ever online cohorts! Congratulations to our graduates and trainers!
- Our next virtual PWS will be held in January 2021
-
eLearning Hub has launched at https://optic.teachable.com/
- Welcome to Katrina Dejeu, our new Outreach Intern!
- Thanks to Emily Privatsky for sharing a poem that one of her PWS trainees wrote about the training! Watch the video below to hear Thomas share his poem!
|
|
OPDSCo - OHA Needs Assessment
- The final report for the peer workforce needs assessment is complete, capturing all of the work that Adrienne, Marianne, and Comagine did over the past year!
-
Final needs assessment report and executive summary are live at https://www.mhaoforegon.org/needs-assessment
|
|
Kudos to Marianne for her hard work on the OHA Needs Assessment! |
|
"I would like to recognize Marianne for her dedication to the Oregon peer-delivered services needs assessment project over the past year. Through Marianne's hard work, we were able to reach every single county in Oregon (there are 36!) to provide input to the needs assessment. Her outreach was critical to the success of the project and ensuring that peer voices across the state were represented. Not only that, but Marianne's positive attitude, willingness to step in whenever she was needed, creativity, and determination were so appreciated. I remember how - in the start of this project - Marianne painstakingly combed the online Traditional Health Worker registry to copy and paste email addresses one-by-one to contact to make sure they had seen our online surveys. Thank you, Marianne, for your important role in making the Oregon peer-delivered services statewide needs assessment a success! It would not have been possible without you."
-Adrienne Scavera, Training & Outreach Department Director
|
|
University of Washington Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)
|
|
OHA - Opioid and Pain Training
-
Have lived experience with chronic pain or opioids? Please reach out to Adrienne (ascavera@mhaoforegon.org)! We will be working on gathering a group of peers to provide valuable input on the training
- Monthly meetings with Oregon Health Authority are ongoing
|
|
PeerZone
- Monthly PeerZone Facilitator connection webinar for USA/Canada/UK facilitators will be held November 3rd at 9 AM PST
- Molly and Adrienne will be working on adapting the PeerZone foundational workshops for online delivery, pending approval by PeerZone Central in New Zealand
|
|
|
|
Kaity Riordan
Communications, Marketing, & PR Coordinator for MHAAO
|
If you have stories about yourself or a peer that you would like to have featured in MHAAO's newsletter, blog, or social media, please email Kaity Riordan, Marketing, Communications & PR Coordinator at kriordan@mhaoforegon.org or give her a call at 509-936-3135! She's always looking forward to hearing from you! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
