Working Peers Meet for Mutual Support

SANDRA & PAM facilitated the
Peer Specialists Support Meeting.

More than twenty people met in Miami on November 26, 2013 to support each other in the new and burgeoning field of professional PEER SPECIALISTS. They met to come to a common understanding of what exactly is a Peer Specialist. They soon discovered that their individual job descriptions were varied, from leading group discussions and counseling peers one-on-one, to contacting resources in the community and advocating for peers in institutional settings. They also met to discuss the barriers to employment and talk about solutions or "Tools for Change".

Sandra McQueen-Baker and Pam Ford prodded the group with questions leading to discussions about...

• Enabling vs. Empowering
• Building trust
• The Benefits of employment
• Disparity in pay
• Problems with background screenings

Pam Ford shared her experiences re-entering the world of work. And how challenging it was to gather all the documentation required to satisfy her petition for Exemption and Waiver. As the Peer Services Coordinator for South Florida Behavioral Health Network (SFBHN), Pam's office stands ready to assist any peer/consumer struggling with the stringent requirements of the background screening.

Sandra McQueen-Baker announced an upcoming public forum, to be held by Miami-Dade County legislators. Sandra stated that this forum, known as The Dade Delegation, would be a wonderful opportunity for peer specialists to advocate for pathways to employment -- instead of barriers to employment.

SANDRA listing group members' responses to the question,
 "What is a Peer Specialist?"

***The next PEER SPECIALIST SUPPORT MEETING to be announced.***