November 1, 2022 (Contributed by Co-Editor Peggy Swarbrick)
Monthly Celebrations
National Gratitude Month Take time this month to give thanks for the big and small things that you appreciate. It’s good for your mental health!
Sweet Potato Awareness Month It’s easy to cook sweet potatoes, which are a nutrition powerhouse! Full of vitamins and fiber, they’re sweet and tasty, too. You can just slice them in half and bake them cut side down on a greased pan. Find more info and interesting recipes at the Have a Plant website.
Halloween, nutmeg and pumpkin spice Is that everything that will be nice? Ready once, twice and thrice Can I have that last humble slice?
The grass is green and the sky is blue What are we thinking and going to do? Dogs bark, cats meow and cows moo Are we believing our perceptions to be true?
October is a time for weather to change Are people staring at me cause I’m strange? Temperatures move within a big range Have to alter those ideas and rearrange?
Autumn leaves are blowing far and wide Can we share with those we confide? Driving the roads along the countryside Is our thinking making us decide?
This part of the season changes almost every day Are there still plenty of days to get outside and play? Of course, the colored leaves are in total disarray Is there really anything for me to finally say?
Costumes of various designs line each street Is Halloween still an incredible feat? Neighborhoods come together and meet Please be safe while we trick and treat.
A Halloween Poem by Howard Diamond, Certified Peer Specialist from Long Island
October 24, 2022 (Howard Diamond, Regular Guest Blogger)
“Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound“, so begins almost every episode of, “50s, The Adventures of Superman. Of course, this is fiction, but it appears that Superman was a risk taker. As most of us know, he was from another planet, Krypton. Maybe on his planet, it was commonplace, but on Earth each one was a risk. Also, by accomplishing these feats, Superman had dignity from us mere earthlings.
Is there dignity in risk taking by any of us? Does this make us feel better, before, during and after the risk as its climax approaches? At that juncture, are we left with any dignity or was it totally lost? Probably not much, but when one gets an exhilarating feeling then it might have been worth the experience. Dignity of risk refers to the concept of affording a person, including one with a disability, the right (dignity) to take reasonable choices to learn, grow and have a better quality of life.
This concept dignity of risk is understood by most practitioners and peers as the chance, choice, or possibility of someone failing in their goals or capacity to self-manage independently. Contrary to popular belief, more often than not, individuals do succeed, as long the risk is not too strenuous. It means there is a level of self-worth promoted by people when we are left to our own devices to make choices for ourselves. We can call it self-esteem, or self-respect; people generally feel better about ourselves when we are given the opportunity to fail or succeed at whatever it is we are set out to do.
Indisputably, the broad range between disregard and extreme vigilance carries with it has serious implications for both clinical practices and peer specialists in mental health. Even within our personal lives, we have friends and family we care for and we wonder where a specific line in the sand is drawn when it comes to caregiving or caring for a friend or a family member who is struggling to maintain safety living independently. For the majority of psychiatrists, therapists, and peers, the terrain between the two poles of dereliction of duty and overshielding is even more unclear. Sometimes, an in-dispute for all these types of teams, occur with workers from different ethical points of view.
Inherently, there is a major issue with complete autonomy and “free-will” when one is in treatment is twofold:
Treatment is a contract between a provider and participant which carries with it the conjecture of compliance/or active participation in one’s own care.
Without any direction and control from providers, therapists, peers, and psychiatrists will run the risk of being irresponsible or doing malpractice should something unforeseen happen to a client that may have been preventable should the client have been watched more closely during his time in active treatment.
The limits of the law are written and very clear. It is written down on paper and stored on computers, so they are indisputable. Therefore, we must abide by them, whether we are in sessions with our psychiatrists, therapists, peers or we find ourselves in everyday situations. Every state in the United States has a regulatory body that decides where this line is drawn between negligence and dignity of risk for Peer Specialists, Therapists and Psychiatrists.
Peer Specialists also are currently working on actively drawing up plans to manage risk more effectively to reduce the likelihood of harm to clients and us. Due to this, we can collaborate more closely with our professional counterparts. There is very small space between theory and practice is when the line gets unfocused when figuring what to do with a person where their dignity of risk of homicidal or suicidal behavior is unclear or is unable to be assessed.
In situations like this, besides our “gut” feeling on which side of the negligence versus overprotection spectrum do our instincts tell us to decide? What will help us and to inform us of our choice. With the assistance of our supervisors we can make an effective list.
Below are only five:
What will be the alliance between we have with our client What is current “professional” relationship between the client and us What is the trust between the two of us What is the mental status of the individuals What is level of mental distress is seen
*Remembering that Peer Specialists are professionals also.
More importantly, what does it say for us as a practitioner when we make our decision? Are we taking risks by working with others we don’t know? Hey, we take risks by walking out the front door. Common ground is important here to keep the conversation going. Boundaries are crucial and must be set at the beginning so the risks of stepping on stones do not happen regularly and dignity is kept.
Dignity and risk occur often when we are growing in our existence and with our relationships within the human experience. Whether this be a friend, family, co-workers or supervisors, we take many risks which can turn into increased dignity. Be careful when we take risks, but dignity is a good feeling. Occasionally this has happened to me, so take risks and improve our dignity for the days of our lives.
See you in the NewsBlogs and Newsletters.
Howard Diamond is a Certified Peer Specialist from Long Island.
October 20, 2022 – Reprint from the N.A.P.S. Webite
people, geography, population and peace concept – close up of human hands with earth globe showing american continent over blue background
National Association of Peer Supporters (N.A.P.S.) writes, “The idea of a ‘national day’ for peer supporters began to take shape at the 2014 Annual International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. This day of celebration, recognition, and reflection began when, the then National Director of Peer Support Services with the Veteran’s Administration, Dan O’Brien-Mazza discussed his idea at a membership meeting. His idea sparked much enthusiasm from other iNAPS members.
“We now have Global Peer Support Celebration Day (GPSCD), an annual celebration of peer supporters, peer support, and recognizing their work in helping their peers with mental health, addictions, and or trauma-related challenges move along the continuum of recovery and inclusion into communities of his/her choosing. This annual, worldwide event takes place annually on the third Thursday in October.“
Last year, when I was completing an article, I received an email that the Mental Health Community lost another legend, Steve Harrington from Michigan. His death on November 29, 2021, left me feeling a little empty inside. Steve was one of the founding members and the first Executive Director of the National Association of Peer Supporters. Although we never met, we spoke and emailed each other on numerous occasions until his stroke several years ago back in 2015. After a few times talking and laughing together, he gave this person the inspiration and courage to start writing again. Thank you, Steve.
Howard Diamond is a New York State Certified Peer Specialist from Long Island
Read about Fall Sports 2022 in a poem Coming here without any fanfare Arriving with no more than a low hum All major sports combine and we will care.
Baseball just started their playoffs Both New York teams need to jell Submitting lineups without being showoffs To win the series they better play well
Football has our area teams doing great Both over .500 for first time in years Too early to see that they really rate Maybe this season will not end in tears.
Hockey will drop the pucks in a day or two One of the locals made it to the round of four Others making their fans cheer and not to boo Applauding crowds are always looking for more.
Basketball opens with back to back games to play A new year, a new season and a new story Our squads each with an attitude to display Can our teams return to their respective glory?
Fall Sports 2022 can be interesting and fun Some teams around the leagues are pretenders Whatever our preference the top will be won The better clubs play each match as contenders.
Root, root for the teams we want to move up Whether bad or good, we still can cheer Trying to win the Lombardi Trophy, or Stanley Cup Each group will compete without much fear.
Fall Sports come around every year Always trying to be better than the rest Showing prowess when they are here This season like all we’ll try our best.
An Annual Fall Sports poem by Howard Diamond, a Certified Peer Specialist from Long Island
The New York State Office of Mental Health is excited to share yet another educational resource available about 988 in New York.
The 988 Brochure contains basic information about 988 including reasons individuals may contact 988, what happens when someone calls, texts, or chats 988, frequently asked questions, and much more! It’s an excellent resource for sharing the basics of 988.
The 988 Brochure has been created with three different cover photos. It can be viewed, downloaded, and printed by visiting the OMH 988 Webpage.
A PDF version of each brochure is available in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Korean, Bengali, and Russian on the OMH 988 webpage as well. This resource, and other resources available on the webpage, can be requested in any language that is not already available on New York’s 988 webpage by filling out the 988 Resource Translation Request Form.
Thank you for your continued support of 988 in New York State!
It is February 8 and a few updates have occurred since last written and documented by Jane Frederick, therapist for Ruth Haines. Ruth and Jane have been working together for almost a year due to Ruth being raped and her infant son Gabriel was beaten to death. However, Ruth does not remember much from that time period.
Also, Holly Stephens, Peer Specialist and her supervisor, Taylor Thompson are working with Police Officer Alex Grey to discuss ideas to find Ruth’s attacker. Always vigilant, Holly while assisting others, her main focus was Ruth. Over the past year, Holly has visited Ruth in various locations, including the hospital plus Generations Lodge Respite and Generations Community Residence where Ruth resides presently.
Today Holly scheduled a mental health day because she is emotionally drained from all that has transpired for this year. Although, she had taken four weeks in last year, this was the first day this year. She is very aware what tomorrow is, February 9, the night she met Ruth. During the day, Holly did fun things. During the afternoon, she went ice skating in the park, indulged with some ice cream, went to see a comedy movie and brought pizza home for dinner. For Ruth it was a day like most days. In the morning, she watched old TV game shows, did a group exercise with members of her community residence. After lunch she decided to take a walk to relax some and put on her headphones and listen to music till dinner. Unfortunately, Ruth does have many recollections of what happened a year ago. Tomorrow she has an appointment with Jane and a separate visit with Holly.
February 9, One Year Later
As usual Holly was out of bed by 6:30 am. She took a hot shower because a long, draining day was ahead for her. By 9:00, Holly met two of clients and respective lawyers at the Lake Town County Court Building. One person was accused of throwing a rock through a sporting goods store window and taking money from the cash register. He is claiming innocent and knows who actually committed the crime. His case is scheduled for 9:30. The second case refers to a woman fighting back against her rapist and stabbing him. Time for her preliminary hearing is 11:30. Ironically the two have the same case manager who is on vacation; therefore, Holly was selected.
In the afternoon, Holly had two house visits at 200 and 330. At 5pm, she has a meeting with Ruth. After minor snow event of about an inch or two over this morning, it has turned cold and windy. Holly was taking Ruth to an appointment with a lawyer in the building where Holly used to work. When Ruth went to the fourth floor, Holly decided to go to the second floor and surprise her former supervisor, Steffie Green. Since the end of October, Steffie has been a Supervisor for Broadview Health Services. The two talked for a few minutes and arranged a lunch meeting for the 17th.
Things changed drastically when Holly walked down the corridor. At the door was shaking Ruth. Holly got a couple of chairs and Ruth began to spout out what occurred a year ago. All her memories of that day were beginning to crystallize. Furthermore, Ruth stated that was Holly who made calls so I could get into Generations Lodge the first time. Yes, Ruth I was there to assist. Also, you spoke with the clinic to get me an intake for the following morning. Ten minutes later, Ruth said she was exhausted and wanted to go back to her place. On route, Holly suggested she bring these thoughts to Jane in therapy. Ruth said she will.
More Memories For One, More Information For The Other
A few weeks later, Holly continues to work hard with a very busy work schedule assisting individuals on the road to recovery. According to her supervisor Taylor, she has a male friend that occasionally comes in the office to take her home. To this point, the two men have not met.
Ruth is still seeing Jane for therapy to put her life back together. There has been some additional memories, but none of Gabriel or the night she was attacked. February has turned into March and today on the 20th, spring begins. Doing part of her daily routine, Ruth takes a walk from her community residence into the village. Some of the store windows are reflecting the change in season. One place is scraping off the paint from the glass of snow scenes and the holidays of winter plus the manager stated there will be new paintings that will adorn them by April 1st.
In the corner of Ruth’s eyes she saw a suspicious man lurking across the street. She dipped into the diner to avoid him. It did not appear that he saw her. Tomorrow, Ruth goes to a mental health program and she will talk about this. Also, Marty house manager of Generations Lodge is scheduled and she will tell him. Although Ruth was scared inside, she was able to make it back home.
About an hour later, Marty arrived at Generations and Ruth talked about the incident. She stated that he appeared to be short or tall, very heavy with darkish hair. At every corner he stopped, held on the edge of the store, squatted slightly and looked around up, down several times as if he were expecting something to fall from the sky. When Ruth was finished, Marty asked if he could phone Officer Alex Grey or Jane, or Holly, but Ruth declined. She agreed that they be informed, but I am too tired tonight to see any of them.
Dinner tonight is at six and Ruth is scheduled to set the table for seven residents and three staff. Although, it is only little past four, she set the table anyway. She did not want to talk about earlier and was glad that there will be people around. When Ruth finished, she retired to her bedroom and rested till dinner.
Two days later, Ruth went into the village and ordered an extra cheese and mushroom slice at the pizza place. She faced toward the window and gazed outside. As she was finishing, she saw that man again, this time he was on the same side of the street coming toward the pizza restaurant, but at least three blocks back. Ruth slowly left the restaurant and headed toward home.
That man is still beyond Ruth and basically do the same movements as the other day. Fortunately, she bumped into off-duty Officer Grey who took down her information and accompanied her a few blocks. No longer did she the man following her, so she was able to return to Generations safely. She thanked Officer Grey and smiled at him intensely.
New Memories and a New Breakthrough
On the following day, Ruth spoke to both Jane and Holly. A meeting was set amongst the three for 2pm, Monday. During the session Jane tried to get Ruth to think about who she saw. Her eyes were closed so Jane had Ruth dig deep in her mind. It did not help much, at least for this time. When her experience was over, Ruth said she would do this again.
Then, Jane brought Holly in the room and discussed (of course generally) how Ruth is progressing in therapy. Ruth said that Jane is still assisting with a variety of techniques to help me remember more and more. Added by Jane that Ruth has continued to make it easier for me. She is open to suggestions and ideas to help her. Holly was satisfied and left to see other consumers. Jane called for an insurance paid taxi to take Ruth home.
While Holly was Ruth, Taylor and Assistant Director, Karen Collins met the first candidate for the open Supervisor position. Her name was Anna Mancini, around 5 feet tall, high heels and quite heavy. She had olive complexion with dark brown eyes and grayish dark wavy hair. Anna had ten years’ experience in the field, three of which Supervisor for a children’s program in a neighboring town. Although Anna had not worked with Peers before, she talked a good game and was informed that there will be a second, if not a third interview.
A few days later, Officer Grey phoned Taylor wanting to talk with him. So, Taylor walked over to his secretary, Steve Washington to clear the rest of his schedule. Also, please try to get in touch with Holly and have her meet me at the Police station in an hour. Let me know what she said. Steve finished the letter he was working on, and then phoned Holly. She picked up and informed Steve that she will do her best. To complete everything, Steve phoned Taylor and informed him about Holly.
Waiting for Taylor to arrive, Officer Grey made room in his office. Fifteen minutes later Taylor was at the police station, and they began to talk not knowing if Holly was coming. Yesterday, a new witness named Bill Reynolds was interviewed and thinks he saw what transpired that night.
Minutes later Holly came into the office. Officer Grey continued. When Bill was asked why he did not come forward in almost a year. The witness claimed he was out the country and did not know that there was a rape and a murder. Last week, Bill returned to Lake Town and saw the notice in the newspaper and the local blog.
With that information, Office Grey and staff checked out some of what Bill said. So far, what he stated were accurate and that he was indeed out of the country for the entire year. As far as what Ruth has been telling me; however, we are still checking it out. ALSO, we have talked to some of the shop employees and many have collaborated. No one had gotten a good look or spoken with the mystery man. Let the memory live again.
GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION FOR CAPITAL REGION SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM
Capital Connect Aims to Increase Access to Suicide Interventions in Historically Underserved Communities
Office of Mental Health, Department of Labor and Department of Health Collaborate to Reduce Suicides Among Capital Region’s At-Risk Populations
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a $5 million multi-agency pilot program aimed at reducing suicide among vulnerable groups in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties. Funded through a grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered by the state Office of Mental Health, Capital Connect will utilize data from state agencies and local partners to identify at-risk groups for focused prevention efforts in specific areas and industries in the four-county region. New York is one of only six states to receive the grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“While our state’s mental health resources are among the best in the nation, we still lose far too many New Yorkers to suicide each year,” Governor Hochul said. “With a focused approach to prevention, we can better identify groups and industries most at risk and ensure they have access to resources, and this $5 million grant announced today will help us provide critical support and foster connections among vulnerable individuals throughout the Capital Region.”
With the five-year grant, the Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center of New York has partnered with the state Department of Health and state Department of Labor to identify groups and industries most at-risk for suicide. In addition, the agencies will work with schools, county mental health, juvenile justice, local hospital emergency departments and the area’s construction industry to help focus efforts in the four-county area, where suicide attempts and death rates exceed the state average.
The primary goal of Capital Connect is a 10 percent reduction in suicide attempts and deaths among vulnerable groups who have been shown to have disproportionately high rates of suicide attempts. The initiative is part of the Office of Mental Health’s larger goal of reducing mental health disparities in historically underserved communities, including communities of color.
Grant-funded activities in Albany, Troy and Schenectady will increase access to evidence-based suicide prevention programs in underserved communities. These activities will complement ongoing efforts initiated by the Office of Mental Health to reduce disparities, including a suicide prevention pilot program in three Black churches in Albany, Harlem and Rochester.
The success of that program helped secure $1.5 million in funding from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the largest source of private suicide prevention research in the nation, and allowed the program to expand to 12 additional Black churches. Also, earlier this year, the Office of Mental Health made $5 million available for suicide prevention programs for underserved populations, including Hispanic/Latino, African American, Asian American, Native American and LGBTQI+ youth and young adults.
The Office of Mental Health utilized surveillance data from the Department of Health to identify two disproportionally affected populations. These groups include adolescents, who have been increasingly treated at emergency departments following suicide attempts, and working-aged men, whose suicide rate is triple that of the general population.
New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Research with diverse populations and age groups clearly shows that social connection matters when it comes to our mental well-being. And while there is no one solution to the complex problem of suicide, by working across sectors and using a number of proven strategies supporting healthy social connection, we can make a difference and save lives.”
To support adolescents, the Capital Connect program will partner with schools to provide a structured suicide prevention needs assessment, consultation, and a range of training options. The program will also support expanding and refining e-Connect, an innovative program that screens youth on probation and connects them to mental health care treatment and services.
Likewise, grant-funded activities in the cities of Albany, Troy and Schenectady will increase access to services in communities of color. The pilot program will also help test this model before potentially expanding the approach statewide.
The program will also provide training targeting the local construction industry and financially distressed and newly unemployed individuals, both of whom are known to be at elevated risk. Partnerships developed through the program will also help the Office of Mental Health advance its goal of reducing healthcare disparities in historically underserved communities.
stylized prohibiting sign in the form of a red stop signs on the background of the open palm
“Hey, over there, that man is pulling that lady by her hair across the avenue”.
“Watch out pastor, those mean guys by the broken window are beating up those women with glass and blood flying everywhere. Someone please call the police”.
Abuse like this need not be commonplace, but unfortunately in today’s society, it is becoming more and more a frequent occurrence. There is never, never an excuse for any of this. Anger, jealousy, alcohol and drugs are not acceptable. In most of these instances, one sad part is little or nothing is being done, which makes the problem escalated even more. Since 1987, October has been designated as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations around this world-wide problem.
Relationship abuse like above occurs in a wide spectrum of individuals. Whether we are in heterosexual or same-gender relationships, or dating relationships or in a marriage, it makes no difference. Victims and abusers can be male or female or someone with gender identity, white or black or even yellow, be tall as seven feet or five feet or smaller, relationship harm occurs when someone uses these behaviors to actively control and manipulate another person. This type of torment does not only signify that an individual is being hit, punched, kicked or physically injured. A person can be harassed emotionally, which means that another is steering, dominating and exerting undue power over another individual. This may revolve around name-calling, humiliation and threats. People can also be abused sexually in relationships. A woman who is married and has consented to sex in the past can be sexually abused by her husband especially if she does not want to have sexual intercourse and he forces it upon her. Also, the reverse happens.
Some victims of an Abusive Relationship are physically mishandled. One way people excessively mistreat others is through exhibiting dominance, because they want to be the one in total charge of their relationship. They tend to humiliate their partners to reduce their self-worth and exert power. Another way they use their power is to isolate their victims from friends and family. Some people become more vulnerable if they don’t have any support systems around them. Also, abusers tend to scare their victims with threats and an array of intimidation tactics. When the wrongdoer puts the entire blame on the victims, the abused may be made to feel and believe that they are lower than low and are totally worthless.
Many of us wonder why victims of abuse don’t leave their current relationships. One plausible reasoning may be that the victim is in severe danger if they leave the relationship. An offender could seriously hurt the other or any family member, including their children. Another reason that victims stay in their horrible situation is due to some financial reasons. A sufferer may not be able to support themself and their children without money from the perpetrator. If you know someone in an abusive relationship, listen to their reasons for staying in their predicament. Understanding these rationalities can make one a better resource for this person.
Signs of an Abusive Relationship:
According to New Hope, Inc. located around the country, these are some of the warning signs of an Abusive Relationship. One can call New Hope at 800 323 HOPE between 9am and 4pm Monday thru Friday, or visit their website, for more information.
EXTREME JEALOUSY CONTROLLING BEHAVIOR QUICK INVOLVEMENT UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS ISOLATION BLAMES OTHERS HYPERSENSITIVITY CRUELTY TO CHILDREN AND OR ANIMALS DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE PAST HISTORY OF BATTERY “PLAYFUL” USE OF FORCE OF SEX VERBAL ABUSE USE OF VIOLENCE OR THREAT OF VIOLENCE
WebMD stated that people that were targeted by these controllers and have any connections with them can have dire consequences. They often live with a number of residual problems that can last for years or the rest of their lives. As a result, they can develop some of the following:
Talk to friends and family members about the signs of abuse. Reach out to someone who we believe might be abused by his partner. Give assistance to domestic violence shelters or volunteer at a domestic violence shelter or hotline. If we’re being abused and or want to help others who are being abused, we have several options to think about. Also, if we know about someone in an abusive relationship or dealing with domestic violence or it is happening in our neighborhoods or anywhere else call the police or 911 or call National Domestic Violence at 800 799 SAFE (7233).
See you in the NewsBlogs and Newsletters
Howard Diamond is a Certified Peer Specialist from Long Island and is frequent writer for the Virtual Community
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.
