Okay. Ready, Set, Go! Let’s cool off and jump in the pool. Of course, in many parts of the country it is too cold, but there are indoor pools. Does everyone know how to swim? If not, it is time to learn. Maybe we remember the strokes that are necessary and we will just practice what we have been taught. Others do not care to pick up the knowledge or are somewhat afraid. Anyway is fine, but it might be a good skill to acquire. Perhaps, we will get wet and feel the water splashing on our bodies cooling off from life’s stressful situations. Listen, I still hear music playing, many people laughing and can smell food cooking in the distance from the local restaurants. Spending each day as it comes and it is wonderful.
Most of us enjoyed the recent holiday weekend, without a care in the world. Suddenly, without advanced warning reality begins to set in. Bright skies turn gray, then black and within a second everything stops. No more music, no more smells and especially no one in the outdoor pools. In the distance, I see up ahead something familiar. It is definitely not the signpost from “The Twilight Zone”. As I awaken, I realize this was all a dream. But what does any of this have to do with being a Peer Specialist? Please read on.
Here my day begins. Time to jump into my situation. It is eight o’clock am and I hear the TV that I left on again and they are still talking about COVID19 and the current stats of vaccination successes and other related information. Although, I am not currently employed as a Certified Peer Specialist, I assist myself and others exploring my skills. Using my tablet, there are many days I attempt to connect with people from other countries with their unique English pronunciations and spelling. Of course, I respect their different cultures. Like most individuals, they are dealing with their issues and current situation the best way they can. My role is to do some “active listening” and use different techniques to assist them.
One person I connected with stated that he is drinking too much, so I tried my hand doing Harm Reduction. On another occasion I employed different types of relaxation techniques to a man who barely leaves his home because of the stress of both COVID19 and his many anxieties. Other people are my local residents so it’s time to schedule an appointment to work on their budgets or other options to assist them to stretch their finances each day . Each individual needs to be heard and Peer Specialists, like myself are there for support.
For many years, I believed it was my obligation to help all sorts of people where and when I can. Since 1994 and probably earlier, I have been assisting individuals with mental and or physical health issues as my livelihood. In 2017, I became a Certified Peer Specialist, where I feel it is my responsibility to help others. Now that I am not working, most times, no payments are given for my services. What I get is a rush of satisfaction throughout my body which serves as an internal reward and drives my work forward. Other Peer Specialists can think of many various volunteer opportunities to find a way to give back. So jump in and try something. Also, this may possibly be a springboard to paid employment and even a career. Like jumping off a diving board. Only kidding, everyone. Let me get back to being serious. One paragraph left.
Furthermore, I write these articles to promote what PEER SPECIALISTS CANACCOMPLISH! Yes, in fact, PEER SPECIALISTS DO ACCOMPLISH!!!
We are continually growing in numbers and in many more avenues of life. Let’s do our part, too. One Peer Specialist at a time. Over there, do we see that guy? He is jumping in the pool. Do we surmise that his profession is possibly a Certified Peer Specialist or wants to be one? Mmm, probably not. Maybe some people out there want to be one. Jump in and enjoy everyone
See you in the NewsBlogs.
Howard Diamond is a New York State Certified Peer Specialist from Long Island.
Timothy Brown, a Westchester County-based poet and peer, has recently published two books of poetry, Poetic Madman and Twisted Rage. More information can be found on Tim’s website, timothyspoetry.com. Tim’s website has poems and other writings of his, recorded readings of his work, a link to get in contact via email (which Tim eagerly welcomes), and more.
Tim is a poet since childhood; his work deals with a variety of themes with a focus in particular on mental health challenges and resilience. When Tim found himself confined at home by COVID beginning in March 2020 he decided to use this time to pursue his long-held ambition of publishing a book of his work–so far he has completed two! Please take the opportunity to learn more about Timothy Brown and his work on his website, and any purchases you make will support this talented local artist.
I write about my experiences in the mental health system. I write about everything, good and bad. I don’t sugarcoat what I have to say. I have had people come to me and thank me for putting what they would like to say–but cannot–into words. My goal is to reach my peers, my practitioners, families and those who are interested in getting to know us and understand us. I believe I can be a voice for many people.
7th Annual Global Peer Support Celebration Day! October 21, 2021
Yesterday (October 21) was the 7th Annual Global Peer Support Celebration Day. I was at the National Peer Specialist Conference in Atlanta on the day a Dan O’Brien -Mazza, (then) Director of Peer Services in the VA proposed a celebration day to Steve Harrington, (then) Executive Director of the International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS), which has since been renamed as the National Association of Peer Supporters (N.A.P.S.).
The main intent of this day of celebration is to recognize he contributions of peer supporters and to help to raise awareness of the work we do.
Yesterday was the first day of this year’s two-day Virtual National Conference, hosted by N.A.P.S., with a number outstanding presenters (view here) and a special award ceremony that featured Harvey Rosenthal paying tribute to our movement’s two recently lost advocates Darby Penney and Jacki McKinney.
Traditionally, groups come together at noon to take a photograph of how they’re celebrating. The Academy of Peer Services is in the midst of recording a training series on Telehealth Peer Support led by Shannon Higbee and Rusty Foster. At noon, participants were given the option of coming on camera to share in the celebration.
Later in the evening, the APS Virtual Community held an Open Mic night for peers to come together to celebrate the day. DJ What kicked off the evening, which was filled with songs, poems, artwork, dancing, and a lot of laughs. To view selected creative expressions from the evening, click here.
NYAPRS Note: Advocates for people with disabilities called on NYS government to implement a sweeping package of policy reforms aimed at increasing employment among New Yorkers with disabilities at a joint NYS Assembly committee hearing in Albany yesterday. NYAPRS COO Len Statham’s powerful testimony focused in particular on strategies identified by the Employment Committee of New York’s Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council (MISCC). See the full text of our testimony below for details.
Courtesy New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI)
October 20, 2021
Our big announcement this week has been the release of our Mental Health Crisis Response report: “Saving Lives, Reducing Trauma.“The report documents the results of a survey of New Yorkers who experienced mental health crises. We invite you to read more on our findings and to share the report with your networks.
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) released Saving Lives, Reducing Trauma: Removing Police from New York City’s Mental Health Crisis Response, a report documenting the results of a survey of New Yorkers who have experienced mental health crises. The report uncovers disturbing trends as a result of police response in these situations. The survey responses underscore that when police are deployed as first responders to the crises, individuals experience fear, trauma and deepening distrust of mental health systems and resources, deterring people from seeking further help. (Read More)
Cathy Frusciante shared the Global Peer Support Celebration proclamation (below). Thanks Cathy!
Hi all, Thought I’d share how my celebration is getting started. The word is getting out folks. Received my proclamation (from the toolkit) today with many many thanks to our fantastic Mayor Roach of White Plains, NY. They mentioned they just may post in their White Plains newsletter too. Woohoo! It’s a great feeling to be supported am I right? Be well & stay well~Cathy Frusciante
How Will You Celebrate?
7th Annual Global Peer Support Celebration Day, 2021
To learn more about Global Peer Support Celebration Day, click here. For more ideas to recognize and participate in the 7th Annual Global Peer Support Celebration Day, including the text used in this proclamation, visit the N.A.P.S. Toolkit. The N.A.P.S. Annual Conference is on October 21 and 22: Conference Schedule. Join our APS/NYAPRS team Maryam Husamudeen and Rita Cronise for a fun Open Mic celebration of Global Peer Support Celebration Day from 7:30 – 8:30 Thursday, October 21.
NYAPRS: The CORE initiative (Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment) is a new Medicaid design that is expected to go live in February that funds psychosocial, peer support, family support and Community Psychiatric Support and Treatment. OMH and OASAS have created a design that “will eliminate many of the barriers to access while preserving the heart of individualized, community-based rehabilitation services.”
New York State (NYS) is excited to be moving forward with Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment (CORE) Services. As previously announced via the BH HCBS Listserv, NYS has received approval from CMS to implement and we are planning for a go-live date of February 1, 2022.
Please see the site for up to date documents and information. Additional guidance documents will be uploaded as they are available, and announcements describing changes will be made via the listserv.
We hope you find the documents on the website helpful as you begin planning for implementation.
CORE Operations Manual for Designated Providers
Policy Regarding Provider Transition to CORE Services and Provisional/ Full Designation
CORE Benefit and Billing Guidance
CORE LPHA Memo and Recommendation Form
CORE Services Initiation Notification Template
CORE Services Fee Schedule
In the coming weeks, additional guidance will be made available, including a CORE Staff Training Memo and Incident Reporting and Management Guidance for BH HCBS and CORE Services.
NYS plans to host a detailed implementation webinar on October 22, 2021 for providers, HARPs, and HIV-SNPs. During this meeting, NYS will share additional training and technical assistance opportunities. Training announcements and registration information will be distributed via MCTAC and the Adult BH HCBS Listserv. Questions and requests for support may be sent via email to the appropriate host agency:
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE
Dave A. Chokshi, MD MSc, Commissioner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 18, 2021
BOARD OF HEALTH PASSES RESOLUTION DECLARING RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
The resolution recognizes the impact of racism on health during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
The resolution requests several actions from the Health Department including making recommendations to the NYC Racial Justice Commission, establishing a Data for Equity working group, performing an anti-racism review of the NYC Health Code, and issuing a semi-annual report on progress associated with this resolution
October 18, 2021 – The New York City Board of Health today passed a landmark resolution on racism as a public health crisis, requesting that the Health Department expand its anti-racism work. The resolution institutionalizes the vision behind the Health Department’s June 2020 declaration and requires that the Department develop and implement priorities for a racially just recovery from COVID-19, as well as other actions to address this public health crisis in the short and long term.
“We’ve seen for years the negative impact racism has in our public health data and today, we’re recommitting ourselves to building a more equitable City,” said First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer Dr. Torian Easterling. “I thank the Board of Health for sharing our commitment to dismantling systemic racism. (Read More)
I learned yesterday of the passing of another great hero of our movement Jacki McKinney. I first met Jacki in her role as a peer researcher in the early 1990’s, possibly in connection with the Center on Women, Violence, and Trauma. From the start, she was a one-of-a-kind force unto herself, someone who could light up the room with her stories of triumph over tragedy and family above all, warming our hearts with her ever kind loving compassion.
(Photo Credit, NYAPRS)
She was also a kickass candid truth teller, who could challenge and forgive you at the same time….. someone who often said what others couldn’t or wouldn’t, amidst a mix of pointed honesty and lightness and laughter.
And oh that laugh. Whenever you heard that mix of joy and playful outrage in that laugh, you’d have to follow it across the room until you saw that smile and that spirit, always surrounded by the crowd who always sought her out after every inspiring and enlivening talk she had just given.
She was always an activist and advocate who challenged us all…challenged the system and the movement alike to listen to women of color with lived experience of trauma and tragedy. You had to talk sometimes, she said, so that others would shut up and listen 😊.
Three views of Jacki that NYAPRS and I will always treasure:
Several hours after the trauma of the September 11 attacks on New York City began to take hold, NYAPRS leaders met and decided to go forward with our annual conference that was to start the next day. Hundreds joined us from across update New York but hundreds more were unable to pass through the City to get to our Catskills hotel site. Jacki was to be one of our keynoters that year and, as she lived in Philly, we didn’t expect that she could make it. How thrilled we were when she showed up, having gotten to us by train and who knows how else! She highlighted that conference, walking amidst the hushed numb gatherings, bringing light and kindness to all.
Months later, we decided to hold a special conference in New York City for those who couldn’t join us before. And once again, Jacki joined us and spread that wonderful spirit around, clad in African garb to match the racial and ethnical unity theme of that event.
And, several years later, she provided the spark in a wonderful ‘Mothers of the Movement’ conference panel that featured Sally Zinman, Gayle Bluebird, Pat Deegan and our Jacki.
I loved Jacki dearly…….and she loved all of us and gave so freely of her courage, compassion and heart. We will be looking upwards and listening carefully for that laughter to warm and cheer us on throughout our days. Listen to her wonderful talk at https://youtu.be/A6xthJYWBtE and read the extraordinary account below of our Jacki’s life and gifts and legacy.
Jacki McKinney is an activist and social advocate for survivors of trauma. McKinney was born in New Jersey on October 18th, 1934, from a very young age as early as two years old she was abused by her father beginning a cycle of trauma she dealt with over the next 50 years of her life.
As a child she had difficulties expressing what was really going on in addition to being punished or ignored if she tried. Her limitations around her continued suffering due to abuse led to her expressing more physical symptoms of illness than the emotionally illness she was experiencing.
Overwhelmed by the constant abuse by the age of nine years old she had stopped walking. McKinney’s physical display of ailment ended up getting her put in a home for disabled children. Unfortunately, the home for disabled children was just as traumatic. The facility housed all White staff and patients in addition to acting as housing for children suffering from the contagious disease, polio.
An 11 year old McKinney returned home no longer fueled by fear and confusion but instead a rage that grew from the knowledge of her truth.
This rage stayed with her for the next 40 years of her life. As she continued to experience traumas through her life, she stated in an interview that “I was victimized again in the streets of New York by a serial rapist along with a lot of other women who seemingly got over it. But I didn’t. And because of my background, my history and lack of treatment I had a major break. My mama would call it a break down but it was a break up and I ended up living homeless in the streets walking away from the family, walking away from my husband, walking away from my house, my life and I never regained those things but I did regain my family.”
This break led her to becoming homeless on the streets of Washington DC which is where she met two women with the D.C. Rape Crisis Center who help get her back on her feet and involved with advocacy and activism.
In her time with them they set her up with some of the most elite medical professionals in the country but there Jacki began to notice the issue that none of the elite doctors and therapists could relate to her or with her. This ignited a new fire in Jacki to talk about the lack of culture competency in the medical profession around mental health and trauma that she knew all too well.
She then went on to join the Consumer Movement in New York to focus on the mental health industry. Her first role in activism was in welfare rights fighting for the rights of other women and other mothers, which she said was the first time in her life something had been dealt with as a woman and a mother in a positive way. She then joined a program called New Careers for the Poor. New York was one of the demonstration states so she was recruited to go to school and to go to work. From that experience she went on to go to get a GED and then to go on to college.
From there she went on to join the Consumer Movement in Philadelphia becoming the Director of the first consumer operating service program, a case management unit. All the people in the unit were people who were consumers (patients) of mental health making the case management program the most radical program made to date because it was also the first to use current mental patients on the professional team. All of them were people of color and they felt it was vital to the program that they had people who could connect with the patient they were trying to serve. The program was part of a research demonstration funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the first government funded peer support group. At the same time Jacki also attended her first Alternative conference, which is where consumers get together and share ideas and present programs. Opening Jacki’s eyes to more ways to get involved.
After the passing of the American Disabilities Act Jacki joined a training done by the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund. While there Jacki joined a conference called Dare Vision where she claims to have after 50 years truly defined her trauma which she said was a big moment for her because with the definition came clarity in defining herself. Unfortunately, after the moment of clarity she was overrun by fear for the next few years about what to do with the possibility of being well and the fear consumed her keeping her from leaving her home for a whole 2 years. It wasn’t until months of talking with a doctor and encouragement for colleagues to take a job as a Dare Division technical expert that she was able to overcome her fear.
Soon after her time with the Dare Division she joined a Co-Occurring Disorders Study done by SAMHSA as an advisor to the study. She stated in an interview “the biggest piece I brought to that study was do not study the women without studying their children because my children lived lives of hell because I lived a life of hell.” a fact many know too well. Soon after her time with the study she began to be a national spokesperson for the issue of trauma. She had three main goals as a spokesperson. The first was to develop a policy against seclusion and restraint. The second was to spread the knowledge that if you don’t treat the children when you’re treating the mother, then you’re creating the second generation of the same issue. The third was to inform that battered women make up a large portion of the prison recurring recidivism rates.
In 1994, she went on to join the National Consumer Survivor Social Policy & Research Work Group. The goal of the organization was to be at the making of policy, to be a part of defining what research would be, and to make sure it was useful to those in need. However issues began to arise with the organization as there was no recognition on the agenda that there were people of color in the movement, there was no recognition there were women in the movement, and they were assumed to be white males because that’s who led it.
After addressing her concerns with the board she faced a strong backlash from some of the white members. So she went on to co-found the National People of Color Consumer Survivor Network with the goal to see African-Americans in front of the room helping set the agenda, helping to talk about what the issues are. In 1996, the goal shifted to become trained as cultural competency experts. Jacki stated the intention was that “we would not be coming and taking that one chair that they’re so scared of losing of the five chairs they’ve had for the last five years. The white consumers who started the movement who don’t want to give up a chair. We could create a new chair. We could also bring to them a new skill and a new understanding and they can then go out and join us as people who know this work and they can write it on their resume that they can understand and they can do this piece, too. So, it’s only a win-win situation. Nobody’s going to lose.”[source].
That epitomized Jacki’s philosophy and showcased the reason she went on to become a recipient of Mental Health America’s highest honor, the Clifford W. Beers award, presented to a consumer of mental health and/or substance abuse services who best reflects the example set by Beers in his efforts to improve conditions for, and attitudes toward, people with mental illnesses.
She also became the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration’s Voice Awards program which was presented to her for her distinguished leadership and advocacy on behalf of trauma survivors.
Jacki McKinney’s story and accomplishments could fill many books so I’ll wrap the spotlight with a message from Jacki herself she gave in an interview I encourage you all to read:
“I’d like to add to all the children, adult children, of parents who have mental illness, I think every single one of you should remember that there’s a great deal of pain in your life no matter where you are and what you’re doing that makes you vulnerable and that you should do whatever you can to find out all about this mental illness issue – to look into your own past and resolve some of those pains because one day out of the blue that may come back to haunt you – the fact that you’ve been asked to close the door and not deal with it.
You are vulnerable and you need to know it and you need to go explore a wellness plan for yourself. You need to stop hiding behind the bushes and stop saying it’s what your mom did or what your dad did or what your grandparents did and you need to look at what the effect is on you. It’s a personal thing. I’m not asking you to help them. I’m asking you to help you because you don’t and it hits you, you got all that blame that you’ve been blaming on someone else and now you see that you didn’t take care of yourself and it can really be devastating. And you can end up sicker than any of us. Such a painful piece of knowledge. But now while you have the time, now while you’re reading this archive and it points to you, go do some reading, do some looking. Go find a way to be well yourself. Go look. That’s it.” ~~Jacki McKinney
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this year, the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion wishes to recognize and honor the remarkable contributions and commitment that Hispanic and Latinx individuals have made to the mental health field. Additionally, OMH recognizes the unique challenges faced by Hispanic and Latinx individuals and reaffirms the Agency’s commitment to ensuring marginalized, underserved and minority communities receive equal access to quality mental health services and supports.
OMH wishes to highlight some of the many individuals who have demonstrated unwavering commitments and dedication to OMH’s mission to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers. These individuals have all made amazing contributions to the mental health system as a whole and demonstrate the importance of holding the system accountable for making change and promoting equity across all areas. (Read More)
Michelle Longmore, MS
Michelle is an APS Instructional Designer who specializes in graphic and instructional design. She has created marketing materials and websites for a variety of businesses throughout her career. Creating interactive courses, as well as developing curriculum and training materials. She enjoys researching cutting-edge educational technology and enhancing the learning experience.
Ivanna Bond
Ivanna Bond is a mental health advocate and survivor with over 25 years’ in nonprofit business management experience. She is a graduate of the Howie the Harp peer training program at Community Access and is currently Assistant Program Director, Community Access, Crisis Respite Center. In the context of her Howie the Harp training she worked at the ACT Institute at the Center for Practice Innovation at the NY State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University, on a Scope of Practice Guideline for Peers on ACT Teams in NY State. Bond is also Chairperson of the NYC Peer Workforce Coalition, a professional association for peer workers (peer specialists and peer advocates).
Sara Goodman
Tanya Stevens
Scott McDonald
Scott is originally from the Bronx, New York. He has over 20 years’ experience in the retail and management field. Scott enjoyed much success both professionally and personally. After both his career and personal life crashed in 2008, Scott experienced the worst times in his life. After considering ending his own life on multiple occasions and experiencing homelessness, Scott searched for assistance to restart his life. The second half of Scott’s journey has been filled with receiving both valuable assistance and education from individuals who tirelessly work in the mental health community. Scott was so impressed by these individuals he chose to “pay it forward” and has, for the last 11 years, worked in the mental health community to assist his fellow peers on their journey. Currently, Scott serves as the Lead Peer Specialist for the New York State Office of Mental Health at Bronx Psychiatric Center.
Chacku Mathai
Chacku Mathai is an Indian-American who became involved in consumer/survivor/ex-patient advocacy and peer support when he was 15 years old. Chacku’s personal experiences with racism, xenophobia, racialized trauma, suicide attempts, and disabling mental health and substance use conditions, including psychosis as a youth and young adult, launched Chacku and his family towards a number of efforts to advocate for improved services, social conditions, and alternative supports in the community. He has since accumulated over thirty-five years of experience in behavioral health systems in a wide variety of roles such as youth leadership and community organizing, executive and board management and behavioral health infrastructure development. Chacku is the Director for the SAMHSA Healthy Transitions Initiative with the Center for Practice Innovations and OnTrackNY, a Coordinated Specialty Care model for young people experiencing early psychosis in New York State. He volunteers his time in roles such as the President for Friends of Recovery – New York, a statewide coalition of people in recovery from addiction, as Vice-President for the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy, and as co-founder of Healing through Hip Hop. He is a National Advisory Council member for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health in Texas and the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems. Chacku serves on several advisory boards for key research initiatives at Boston, Columbia, Lesley and Rutgers universities. Chacku is also an appointed member of the New York State Integrated Block Grant Committee and the Governor’s Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council.
Oscar Jimenez-Solomon
Oscar Jiménez-Solomon is a mental health researcher and advocate who has dedicated his career to improving the financial wellness of people with psychiatric conditions through research, program development, training and technical assistance, and policy advocacy. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon’s commitment to helping others overcome unemployment and poverty stems from his personal experience of financial hardship and recovery. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon obtained a Master of Public Health at Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in Sociology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. He is currently pursuing studies leading to a Ph.D. in Social Policy at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Since 2013 he has served as Research Scientist at the Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Oscar is the principal investigator of a grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to develop and pilot a peer-led intervention with the goal of building financial hope, improving financial wellness, and reducing distress and suicide risk. As part of his doctoral training he is conducting research at the Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Policy to examine the impact of economic hardship on hope, life satisfaction and psychiatric distress. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon is Vice-Chair for the Board of the National Disability Institute (NDI), a national organization dedicated to improving the financial wellbeing of people with disabilities. He is also Instructor at the Rutgers University Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, where he teaches coursework for the peer support certificate. Oscar’s previous roles include Director of Community and Economic Development at the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), Director of Quality Management at the Arc of New York State, and Consultant at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He has authored or co-authored peer-reviewed articles, training manuals, and online training modules on economic empowerment, cultural competence, and language access. He has also authored book chapters, reports, empowerment videos and training manuals in mental and public health in the United States and Latin America.
Ruth Colon-Wagner
Ruth Colón-Wagner: Director of Training & Development (NYAPRS) has 30+ years experience in Child Welfare, Homeless Services, Employment, and Mental Health Care working with children, adults, and families. For the last 25 of those years Ruth has worked in a variety of leadership positions. Prior to joining NYAPRS, Ruth served as Director of Rehabilitation and Treatment of adult mental health services in the Hudson Valley region of New York. As Director of Training & Development, Ruth manages various initiatives which includes technical assistance to organizations (nationally) on organizational culture change; organizational capacity building and sustainability, board development, succession planning and strategic planning. Other specialties include Group Facilitation, Program Management and Compassion Fatigue. Ruth is a certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapist, a Functional Family Therapist and a Life-Skills Educator. Ruth received her MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work and is licensed as a social worker in NYS.
Gina Calhoun
Gina Calhoun is the Director of Doors to Wellbeing, a SAMHSA funded National Technical Assistance Center and a Program of the Copeland Center. She participated in public mental health services for 20 years and is now proud to be a Certified Peer Specialist and Mental Health Educator. When Gina is not promoting wellness and recovery, she enjoys adult gymnastics as well as spending time with her large dynamic family. Gina won the Timothy J. Coakley National Behavioral Health Leadership Award. This award honors peer and family leaders in the behavioral health field whose work is characterized by the highest degree of integrity and a passion for creative approaches for improving the lives of persons living with mental health challenges, especially in the public sector.
Lori Ashcraft, MSW, MPA, PhD
During her 40 year behavioral health career, Lori has had a strong interest in the therapeutic effects of self-determination, choice, and personal freedom. She did her dissertation on freedom, spending a month in Russia at the time the Soviet Union collapsed, and focused her inquiry in Soviet mental hospitals where the lack of freedom and choice was pervasive.
After a full career in California that included the Deputy Director for Community Programs of state Department of Mental Health, she re-located to Arizona where she accepted the position as Director for Adult Services where her commitment to recovery principles became a passion. In 2007, Lori founded the Recovery Opportunity Center at Recovery Innovations. Early in 2015, Lori left Recovery Innovations creating a new company, Resilience, Inc. which his now part of Crestwood. Being part of Crestwood has allowed her to learn more about using recovery and resilience principles and practice them in the unique environment of Crestwood. Most exciting is desire of Crestwood to learn and grow as more is known about recovery. Lori’s vision for the future is to continue teaching recovery principles and practices, assuring people that they can recover.
Celia Brown
Celia Brown is a psychiatric survivor and a long-time advocate for people with psychiatric disabilities. Celia was one of the first Peer Specialist in New York. She was instrumental in developing and implementing the Peer Specialist Civil Service title for the NYS Office of Mental Health. She currently works in the position of Regional Advocacy Specialist for the Office of Consumer Affairs at the NYS Office of Mental Health.Celia provides technical assistance and support to people with psychiatric disabilities and their families. She facilitates trainings on peer support, wellness and recovery approaches in community mental health agencies. Celia is a long-time leader in the peer movement.She is a certified peer specialist in New York State. Celia has presented nationally and internationally.Celia was the main representative to the United Nations for MindFreedom International and collaborated with other Disability organizations on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
Lynnae Brown,
Lynnae Brown is the Director of Howie The Harp (HTH) Advocacy Center – a peer led employment training program for people in mental health recovery. Based in Harlem, New York City HTH has trained hundreds of individuals across the metropolitan area to offer supportive services using their lived experience along with peer support principles. Lynnae is a NYS Certified Peer Specialist and her work was featured in BRICTV’s #BHheard Mental Health Series in 2018.
Maryam Husamudeen, BA, NYCPS, eCPR, ASIS, MHFA
Maryam Husamudeen has been a Peer Bridger for NYAPRS since 2013 and the User Support Staff for APS since 2018. Her background work experience allows her to be highly skilled in the field of High Risk Populations. She is an Advocate and Consultant. She is very dedicated to servicing the community. Her objective is to enlighten service providers on the barriers to care of these populations and develop Quality Improvement Techniques to have a more efficient interaction. She is a seasoned nonprofit professional with over 30 years’ experience. She has earned her BA in Sociology. She is a NY State Certified Peer Specialist and newly trained in eCPR amongst other certifications.
Yumi Ikuta, MBA
Yumiko Ikuta is a consumer and the Director of the Office of Rehabilitation in the Bureau of Mental Health at the NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene. Her office oversees over 80 non-clinical treatment and rehabilitation programs, including supported employment, education support services, clubhouses, psychosocial clubs, peer support, respite, self-help, advocacy and outreach, as well as peer specialist training programs. Her experience in peer specialist education is extensive as the former Deputy Director of Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy Center and the former Program Manager of the Academy of Peer Services. Yumiko also worked closely with the NYS Office of Mental Health to develop Medicaid billable Home and Community Based Services and its delivery system. She worked for over 15 years in the corporate sector and for the US Agency for International Development at the Dept. of State as an economic development officer in several developing countries. She also started and operated her own wholesale and retail fine jewelry business on Madison Avenue in NYC. Yumiko holds a BA in Economics and East Asian Studies and an MBA in Marketing and International Business both from Columbia University.
Len Statham
Len Statham is the Chief Operating Officer with the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. He has worked with people with mental health and substance use issues for more than 25 years, promoting recovery focused services and service provision. Through SAMHSA’s BRSS TACS program, he has helped peer-run organizations from across the country increase their capacity to provide peer-run services in a value-based healthcare world. Additionally, Len also works with the National Development and Research Institutes Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NDRI-ATTC) and The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University offering training and technical assistance to organizations across the country providing employment services to people in mental health recovery. Critically, Len is a person with lived experience in the mental health system and this experience informs and strengthens his work on recovery and employment issues.
Steve Miccio
Steve Miccio is the CEO of People-USA located in Poughkeepsie, NY. People-USA is a peer operated advocacy and service organization serving people throughout New York State. Steve has used his personal experiences to help provide valuable insight in creating, leading and manage alternative peer operated crisis diversion/respite/stabilization services and has assisted in the creation of various complimentary peer services in NY and across the United States and Europe.
Cheryle Hinds Leslie
Cheryle Hinds Leslie is a State Certified Peer Specialist, an advocate for social justice and a voice for peers. Cheryle is from the Bronx. She was her mother’s right hand for countless projects. Cheryle is a member of the North Bronx National Council of Negro Women for 40 years working on countless services. Cheryle helped start the North Bronx NCNW Child Development Center. In the Peer Movement, Cheryle graduated from Howie The Harp, and has been a part of Community Access, Bronx Crisis Respite, and managing Baltic Street Bronx Peer Advocacy Center. She has fought for peers in Albany with NYAPRS, Coalition for Women Prisoners, and the Supported Housing Network of New York. Cheryle sits on the Mayors Community Service Board & Community Service Board Mental Health Sub Committee, in NYC. Cheryle is the Entitlements Coordinator for the Jewish Board Brooklyn Supported Housing and Treatment Apartment Programs.
Denise Ranaghan, LMHC, CPRP, NYSCPS
Denise Ranaghan shares a powerful personal recovery story that has driven her 20 year record of service in the mental health field. She received a Masters of Art and Education from Teachers College, CU and went on to hold multiple positions in the mental health system including Residential Manager, Peer Specialist, Rehabilitation Coordinator, Director of Wellness Services and Director of Assertive Community Treatment Team. While Director of Mental Health Association’s Wellness Program Denise initiated projects that collaborated with community organizations to bring mental health and substance use related issues into public discussions. She is a certified WRAP facilitator who has both helped to start and support alternative peer run self-help groups. While serving as the Director of Peer Services at the New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, Denise oversaw multiple projects that employed Peer Bridgers and trained providers on how to incorporate peer services into their organizations. She has presented on Peer Support, Trauma Informed Care, Voice Hearing, Cultural Diversity, Suicide, and the Human Canine Connection. She is the author of multiple essays on recovery as well as the book “Institutional-Eyes,” which profiles her experience in the military where she was first psychiatrically hospitalized. She is a writer and a pastel artist, currently living in New Paltz, NY with her partner and their five dogs and two cats.
Carlton Whitmore
Carlton Whitmore is the Director of New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene’s Office of Consumer Affairs. The Office of Consumer Affairs is responsible for assuring the voice of those with lived experience is heard and integrated into all levels of policy and planning. Carlton’s primary function in this role is to advocate on behalf of individuals and families who may not have access to resources needed to support their recovery.
Liz Breier, MA, CPRP
Liz Breier holds a Master of Arts in Health Advocacy from Sarah Lawrence College, is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner from The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, as well as a Certified Peer Specialist for the state of New York. Additionally, Liz is a Certified Health Coach and is a candidate for additional certification with The Institute For Functional Medicine. Liz has worked in the field of Behavioral Health in a variety of leadership and supervisory roles in the states of Florida, New Jersey, and New York. Since 2000 Liz has been actively involved in supporting individuals in creating and sustaining their personal vision of recovery as well as helping to create and shape a service system that is person centered, anti-racist, recovery focused and consistent with the principles of psychiatric rehabilitation. Additionally, Liz uses her personal lived experience as a part of her advocacy and work around individual self-determination and healing from trauma.
Jonathan Edwards, PhD
Jonathan P. Edwards consults nationally on peer support services implementation and supervision and plays an integral role in advancing peer workforce development. Jonathan wears many hats; recently earning a PhD from the Social Welfare program at CUNY Graduate Center and a Doctoral Fellow in the SAMHSA-funded Council on Social Work Education’s Minority Fellowship Program; as an adjunct professor at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College; as a licensed clinical social worker and member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers; as a program consultant, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care, and Treatment; as a member of the National Association of Peer Supporters Board; as an executive member of the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board; a New York Certified Peer Specialist; and a person in long-term recovery.
Gita Enders, LMSW, MA, CPRP
Gita Enders currently holds the position of Director in the NYC Health + Hospitals / Office of Behavioral Health, where she oversees numerous health care delivery system activities and concerns impacting individuals who use mental health, substance use, and co-occurring treatment services. Gita has presented locally and nationally on programming and supervision. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker; she has a Master’s degree in English (Creative Writing), a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) and New York Certified Peer Specialist. She serves as supervisor to the Peer Advisor Program as part of the Public Psychiatry Fellowship of Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, and is also involved with the Community Access Howie the Harp Advocacy Center as a Peer Training Program instructor.
Clinton Green, LMSW
Clinton Green is a Senior Training and Implementation Specialist at The Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery. He collaborates with New York City behavioral health providers on enhancing access and quality of person-centered and recovery-oriented services through her provision of trainings and technical assistance. Prior to this position, he was the Program Director for a new peer training model under the ThriveNYC grant. Clinton has worked over ten (10+) years with individuals with mental health challenges in recovery-oriented programs including over four (4+) plus years in a supervisory role. In these roles, he assisted with the creation of trauma informed policies and assessment material. Mr. Green has also trained on Community Inclusion Principals with Dr. Mark Salzer from Temple University.
Athena Anderson, PhD, MEd
Athena has been an Instructional Designer with APS since March of 2020. Before switching to a career in ID, she was a field ecologist and taught college biology courses for 17 years. She is also a certified feline training and behavior specialist and Cultural Intelligence Facilitator. Athena will try just about anything once, but her most common hobbies include writing, dancing, travel, cat rescue, and anything related to Monty Python. She currently has a crush on Michael Palin.
Ken Gill, PhD
Dr. Gill’s research interests encompass a broad range of topics with the psychiatric rehabilitation of persons with serious mental illnesses. These include evidence-based and promising practices in terms of employment, education, health and wellness promotion, and techniques to promote community integration, quality of life, and recovery. In addition, he has a strong interest in the educational techniques and approaches that promote practitioner development through academic and other educational approaches.
Rita Cronise
Rita is an instructional designer with lived experience of a major mental health diagnosis who has been a certified peer support specialist, an advanced level WRAP facilitator, Recovery to Practice advanced peer specialist training developer, and for two years served as acting Director of Operations at the International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) where she had coordinated efforts to develop National Practice Guidelines for the peer workforce. Rita currently holds a faculty position at Rutgers University as the lead instructional designer on the online Academy of Peer Services (APS), the training and testing component of the New York State peer specialist certification and the companion Virtual Community of Practice. She continues to serve on a national workgroup for supervision of peer specialist and peer support workforce development and is a frequent lecturer on peer support values, practice, and supervision.
Amy Spagnolo, PhD
Amy B. Spagnolo, APS Project Manager, is a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers, the State University. In addition to teaching and administration, her experience includes over 20 years of curriculum design, staff training and consultation for the behavioral health sector. She also brings a decade long commitment to training and educating the peer support provider workforce. Currently, in her role as the Project Manager for the Academy of Peer Services, she oversees the instructional design and technical offering of 50 online-based training modules for New York Peer Specialist Certification. This is the only online training and testing platform for peer specialist training of its kind.
Karen Richards, PhD, EdS, MS
Karen Richards is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Rutgers University Biomedical and Health Sciences, School of Health Professions, in Newark, NJ. Dr. Richards is also the Director of Instructional Design, Media, and Technology at the MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care in New York City, NY. She has been working in the field of Web development and e-learning for over two decades, specializing in online scenario-based and problem-based learning. In her role as instructional designer for the Academy of Peer Services, at Rutgers University since 2013, Dr. Richards works with subject-matter experts to design online courses for peer support specialists. She continues to contribute to the body of research in the field of designing online environments for learners with mental health disorders. As Director of Instructional Design, Media, and Technology at the MJHS Institute, Dr. Richards oversees the organization’s website, learning management system, and all online continuing educational programming for physicians, nurses, social workers, and other allied healthcare professionals.
Varsha Kamat
Varsha Kamat has been a Web Support Specialist for the Academy of Peer Services at Rutgers University for the past four years. She works with Instructional Designers and the User Support Specialist to maintain the APS website. She also does data analysis. Varsha has more than 25 years of experience in Information Technology, and you can find her at the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. On a personal note, Varsha likes gardening, sewing, cooking and dancing. She is also a good photographer.
