The Art & Science of Peer-Assisted Recovery
Summary: A 5 day, 30-hour, evidence-informed, interactive online training for persons interested in providing peer-assisted recovery services.
Description: Authored by several New-Hampshire-based and national thought leaders in the field of peer-based recovery supports, the concepts and competencies addressed include:
Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care; multiple pathways of recovery; harm reduction; peer recovery support; boundary management; motivational interviewing; social justice issues; self care; role-specific research and data collection and reporting; stigma, discrimination, and language. This course will also take an extensive look at ethical considerations and scenarios that are common in peer-assisted recovery to prepare individuals for engagement with peers, and includes four hours of ethics training.
Learning objectives
Participants will be able to:
• Describe the peer recovery specialist role and sub-roles
• Examine empowerment as a process and a tool to guide their activities with recovering populations
• Examine how paradigms about recovery can support or limit the process of coaching recovery
• Identify effective means of managing personal biases about recovery
• List the components of both the art and the science of supporting recovery
• Practice core Motivational Interviewing skills
• Compare the peer recovery specialist role with other recovery-supportive roles and professions
• Define and locate opportunities to improve a Recovery-Oriented System of Care
• Discuss social justice issues surrounding the role and services of recovery coaches
• Discuss the importance and roles of data in the peer recovery specialist role
• Discuss trauma-informed care in relation to the peer recovery specialist role
• Practice newly acquired knowledge and skills
• Identify opportunities to improve present skills relative to coaching recovery
This curriculum is designed as a process of personal transformation to understand peer assisted recovery supports. It will test personal and recovery community norms we have come to understand in the last 20 years of peer-assisted recovery supports and services.
Identifying that the term “coaching” typically involves a power differential, we’ve removed that from the title and hope to change the language of the traditional “recovery coaching” approach to one of even more empowerment titled simply, “peer-assisted recovery.”
This is the latest, most modern and current curriculum around peer-assisted supports and recovery that will transform how we approach our peers, and more importantly, how we truly meet them where they are at and empower them in finding and maintaining recovery. We will demonstrate that these aren’t simply taglines, they are how we provide peer-support.
This started as a vision to locally reduce barriers and costs and modernize existing “recovery coaching” training and became a national effort of SOS Recovery Community Organization and recovery advocates and leaders in NH and across the United States.
The development started with a grant from Kennebunk Savings Bank and a group of NH recovery community leaders in NH.
It gained steam with major contributions from Jim Wuelfing and Art Woodard who were both pivotal in developing a nationally recognized “recovery coaching” training over 20 years ago. Major contributions included Robert Ashford, MSW, research scientist and national recovery advocate who also helped teach the first pilot with Dean Lemire and Michelle Reilly in Portland, OR at the Alano Club. Also contributing was Brooke Feldman, MSW, a person in long-term recovery and respected recovery and social justice advocate from Philadelphia. In the spirit of the recovery community, we utilized the pilot training with Brett Canode and his team at the Alano Club in Portland, OR to inform us and get input with further development.
Ethical Considerations in Peer Assisted Recovery
Summary:
Designed for individuals who work as peers in recovery support services to provide knowledge and understanding of ethical decision making.
Description:
Emphasis is placed on understanding the similarities and difference between values, norms, principles, morals and ethics as well as on learning how to make ethical decisions. Other areas explored include: understanding the ethical standards for the delivery of peer recovery services in a peer’s jurisdiction as well as the possibility of differing ethical standards given the location of service delivery including federally qualified health centers, jails/prisons, hospitals/emergency settings, recovery community organizations, etc. The training features presentations, exercises and experiential learning techniques.
The curriculum development was funded in part by Kennebunk Savings Bank through a grant awarded to SOS Recovery Community Organization.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to: Define ethics, principles and morals
Describe where to find the ethical standards already developed in their jurisdiction
Discuss a format for making ethical decisions.
Examine and discuss personal values and their connection to ethical decision-making
Examine one’s own self-care
Discuss further professional development needs
Set a personal goal using material from this course
This course has been approved by SOS Recovery Community Organization as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #185051 , SOS Recovery Community Organization is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
LADC/MLADC Categories of Competence: 12
CRSW Performance Domains: 2
This class is pre-approved for 4 hours of ethics requirements for CRSW, LADC, MLADC
No refunds within 30 days of class
Dates: Oct. 12 & 13, 2023
Individuals must complete both days in entirety to receive CEUs
Suicide Prevention
Summary: Suicide prevention and intervention training that offers knowledge from evidence-based national suicide strategies.
Description: A one-day training that focuses on stigma and recovery community strategies to promote community-wide responses to suicide prevention.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
Recognize risk factors as well as protective factors to improve abilities to response to warning signs
Learn skills for intervening with individuals at risk and connecting them with appropriate resources
Build a peer culture of leadership, connection and empowerment that includes suicide attempt and loss survivors in leadership and planning roles.
Gain insights into suicide data and how age, gender, culture and other demographic and diversity factors impact suicide risk
Understand stigma and language as it relates to mental health and the positive impact community approaches can have to promote individuals seeking appropriate help Understand the myths and facts surrounding suicide
Develop wellness plans and a continuum that include referrals to appropriate clinical supports as well as peer supports and discussions of suicide management plans in coaching and support services for individuals at risk
Engage in best practices to reduce and prevent access to lethal means
Discuss community resources available in the peer recovery setting as well as clinical resources to increase prevention strategies for suicide
The course has been approved by SOS Recovery Community Organization as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 6 educational credits. NAADAC Provider #185051. SOS Recovery Community Organization is responsible for all aspects of the programming. It has been pre-approved for 6 CEU’s by the NH Board of Licensing for Alcohol and Other Drugs for suicide prevention.
HIV/AIDS/ and Hepatitis Prevention
Summary: Focuses on evidence based prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
Define and identify the differences between HIV and AIDS
Understand and differentiate between myths and facts about transmission of HIV and AIDS.
Understand different Testing methods and windows related to HIV infection and AIDS.
Understand relationships between HIV, STI’s, People who inject drugs, poverty and marginalized populations.
Understand Prevention strategies for HIV and Hepatitis. Define and understand Hepatitis and each of the 5 types.
Learn prevention strategies and treatment options for Hepatitis .
Take a deeper dive into harm reduction strategies including syringe service programs and an introduction to safe injection facilities and what they mean to reducing HIV, AIDS and hepatitis transmission.
Learn about Stigma and Language and the impact on individuals who are infected with HIV and Hepatitis.
This course is pre-approved by the NH Board of Licensing for Alcohol and Other Drugs for 6 Continuing Education Hours in HIV and AIDS Prevention. Performance Domains: CRSW I, IV. LADC/MLADC: 3,4,6,7,8,11,14,16
This course has been approved by SOS Recovery Community Org, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 6 educational credits. NAADAC Provider #185501 , SOS Recovery Community Organization is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
Motivational Interviewing
Summary: Introduction to the evidence-based clinical method of Motivational Interviewing, an effective approach in peer-assisted recovery field.
Description: Motivational Interviewing is a client-centered, evidence-based, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. After orientation to the underlying spirit, structure, and principles of Motivational Interviewing, practical exercises will help participants strengthen empathy skills, recognize and elicit patient change talk, and understand discord. This class will provide peer- recovery specialists and past, current or future practitioners of MI with an opportunity to explore creative ways of integrating these approaches.
This MI class was designed with peer assisted recovery in mind, however, the content for this is no different than the MI Basics that would be taught to clinical practitioners in behavioral health, substance use disorder or community health settings.
This class includes the option to have two recorded conversations evaluated utilizing the Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment along with two individual 1:1 coaching sessions to review the codings and assist with proficiency.
“Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.”
~ Stephen Rollnick and William R. Miller, Sheffield, UK Oct 2011
This course has been approved by SOS Recovery Community Organization, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 11 CE. NAADAC Provider #185501, SOS Recovery Community Organization is responsible for all aspects of its programing.
This course is pre-approved for 11 CEU’s from the NH Board of Licensing for Alcohol and other Drugs. LADC/MLADC Categories of Competence: 12, CRSW Performance Domains: 2
(online, 4-day) This training is an online zoom modified version of our two-day training broken up over 4 days. This allows time to practice skills while receiving an interactive online introduction to the evidence-based clinical method of Motivational Interviewing, an effective approach in the care of working in peer-assisted recovery supports.
Co-occurring Disorders in Peer-Assisted Recovery Services
3 hours
Focuses on how mental health disorders often combine with substance use disorders; mental health disorders may cause an increased use of substances, and conversely, substance use may increase the severity of mental health symptoms. Participants will gain knowledge about the numerous mental health disorders that are linked to substance use and how the two may exacerbate each other, and the available treatment options and resources available to support and treat them.
CRSW Boot Camp (includes all of above)
This registration page is to sign up for ALL 6 classes at once at a reduced rate and complete all educational components required for a NH CRSW certification in approximately one month PLUS a 2-day course in Motivational Interviewing: The Basics which includes two individual codings and 1:1 coaching sessions.