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Peer Specialists Promoting Community Re-integration for People with Psychiatric Disabilities Returning Home from Jail or Prison. Presented by The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities And

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  1. Peer Specialists Promoting Community Re-integration for People with Psychiatric Disabilities Returning Home from Jail or Prison Presented by The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities And The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse

  2. November 2012 / Community Inclusion Programs in Peer-Run Mental Health Services • January 2013 / The Roles of Peer Specialists in Rural Communities: Challenges and Models • March 2013 / The Roles of Peer Specialists in Promoting Competitive Employment • May 2013 / How Can Peer Specialists Promote Engagement in Religious Congregations? • July 2013 / Peer Specialists Promoting Community Re-integration for People with Psychiatric Disabilities Returning Home from Jail or Prison The Webinar Series

  3. Richard Baron, MA / Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities • James P. Kimmel, Jr., J.D., Esq. / Peerstar LLC • LaVerne D. Miller, Esq. / Policy Research Associates, Inc. • Lori Schultz / Peerstar LLC Our Presenters

  4. Improving awareness and responsiveness to the special needs of this group • Establishing appropriate language Introduction

  5. The Facts • Between 300,000 and 400,000 people with serious mental illnesses are incarcerated in local jails and state prisons • Approximately 500,000 on parole or probation are living in the community • National Leadership Forum on Behavioral Health/Criminal Justice Services, 2009

  6. Our Collective Challenge • Increase the availability of recovery support services to justice-involved consumers • Increase the capacity of Peer Specialists to effectively provide recovery support services to justice-involved consumers • Increase the capacity of consumer organizations to engage and support the recovery of justice-involved consumers in the community

  7. Public Safety • Compliance • Medication/Treatment Management • Recidivism Traditional Focus of Re-entry Programs

  8. Viewing Re-entry Through Another Prism • Many individuals in programs will need support in “entering” and becoming active in all aspects of community life including wellness, employment and family. • Individuals want and need support around coming to terms with losses and successfully grieving these losses. • Applicability of recovery support services such as Supported Employment, Person-Centered Planning and WRAP

  9. SAMHSA’s Four Dimensions of Recovery • Health • Home • Purpose • Community

  10. Loss of hope • Grief over losses • Problems with family reunification • Lack of “community” • Lack of crisis planning • Absence of role models • Low expectations • Lack of meaningful activity • Financial matters (credit, student loans and child support) • Undisclosed criminal/civil matters Most Commonly Self-Reported Causes of Relapse

  11. Advisory and leadership roles in planning and implementing programs • Wellness Coaching • Outreach, Education and Prevention • Homeless Outreach • Crisis Intervention • Bridger • Service Coordination • Discharge Planning • WRAP Facilitators Some Emerging Roles for Peer Specialists

  12. Jails Prisons Forensic Units in State and Municipal Hospitals Courts Provider Agencies Peer-Operated Organizations Settings

  13. Preparing Peer Specialists to Work Effectively with Justice-Involved Consumers • Stigma on the part of other consumers • Culture of Incarceration/Impact on Help Seeking/Disclosure • Understanding of local and state criminal justice system • Impact and prevalence of trauma • Direct and collateral consequences of involvement in the criminal justice system • Criminal justice partnership

  14. Different Approaches to Training Peer Workforce • Integration of additional training modules in existing training programs • Specialized training programs, e.g., Forensic Peer Specialist Training Program • Continuing Education

  15. Barriers • Employment policies and practices are frequently not aligned with values of recovery and rehabilitation • Some policies and practices while facially neutral have a disparate impact on the hiring of peers with criminal records or the access to peer to specific settings or places

  16. Government agency restrictions on hiring staff with criminal convictions, e.g., felony or violent crime Access to correctional facilities by “convicted felons” or restrictions on working or visiting facilities where peer served time Conditions of parole, probation or other types of community supervision Examples of Some Potential Restrictions

  17. NYS Office of Mental Health has created a parallel clearance process for justice-involved peers who are being hired BECAUSE OF their criminal justice history. • Applicants go through the same clearance process as all employees • Applicant and employer are notified of decision • Applicant is sent letter requesting supporting evidence of “rehabilitation” and has 10 days to provide evidence of rehabilitation • Employer must also provide rationale for hiring justice-involved peer Map of New York State Process

  18. Resources SAMHSA GAINS Center for Behavioral Health Justice Transformation gainscenter.samhsa.gov

  19. http://www.mhselfhelp.org/roles-of-peer-specialists-webi/ • Research Citations • Miracle Court • Non-Justice System Handout New Approaches

  20. Initially they will buck the system • They will be dishonest • They will cancel appointments • They may relapse • They may go back to jail Realities of working with previously incarcerated individuals:

  21. As FPS/CPS we need to remember we are not judge and jury. Our peers will make mistakes; it is how they handle themselves afterwards that is most important. Realities of working with previously incarcerated individuals:

  22. Points of intercept with individuals who have a criminal history • Importance of collaboration with agencies: Probation, Judges, Children and Youth, Cost and Fines

  23. Our roles in crisis support • Our roles in development of community roles/natural supports • Our roles in Individual Advocacy • Our roles in Self-Help /Self-improvement • Roles in wellness/recovery • Roles in social networking • How we can help them remain out of jail The Roles of Peer Specialists

  24. Question & Answer

  25. Visit the Clearinghouse website http://www.mhselfhelp.org/roles-of-peer-specialists-webi/for: • Background materials • A recording of today’s webinar • Further information for Peer Specialists Resources

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