A newsletter from Johnson County Mental Health Center
Mental Health Moment

Peer support services are a range of activities and interactions between people who have shared experiences of living with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders. Typically this support is given by a peer support specialist, also known as peer supporters or recovery coaches. Peer support specialists model recovery and share their knowledge to offer support to help people experiencing mental health challenges. Some types of peer support include: 
Emotional support may look like mentoring and advocating for people in recovery.
Informational support could be sharing knowledge, connecting peers to information like community mental health resources and skill-building.
Instrumental support could be providing supports to housing or employment.

Affiliation support may look like connections to community support.
Peer support services are an evidence-based model of care that can take shape in many forms. It could be in an individual or group setting, face-to-face, on the phone or via video chat. The frequency can also vary depending on how much support is needed or wanted.
 
Peer support is incredibly valuable because it has been shown to improve the quality of life, engagement and satisfaction with services and supports, improve whole health recovery and chronic conditions, decrease hospitalization and inpatient days and reduce the overall cost of services. 
 
In addition to including individuals with lived experience on our Advisory Board and in many decision-making processes, Johnson County Mental Health Center offers peer support services to our clients. Our certified peer specialists are individuals who have sufficiently advanced in their recovery to be of assistance to other consumers of mental health services. They aid individuals in their recovery and assist them in attaining the goal of living a fulfilling life in the community.
 
If you have a mental health condition and are interested in better understanding yourself and your recovery, NAMI offers a free, eight-session educational program called NAMI Peer-to-Peer. Taught by trained leaders with lived experience, this program includes activities, discussions and informative videos. However, it does not include recommendations for treatment approaches.
 
Even if you don’t have a mental health condition, you can still offer help and support to your loved ones. We’re also here 24/7 to offer support at 913-268-0156.
Resources for your mental health
Upcoming events
Mental Health First Aid is an interactive 8-hour course that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. 
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is for caregivers who want to feel more comfortable, confident and competent in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. ASIST is a resource for the whole community. It helps people apply suicide first-aid in many settings: with family, friends, co-workers, teammates and formal caregiving roles. 
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.