IL-NET Presents an IL Conversation Join today’s conversation: *# to enter the queue to speak Or Type your comment in the chat box on your lower right hand side of your screen You can also click the person with the right hand raised at the top of your screen to raise your hand to have your mic opened to speak if you aren’t using a phone Captions will be provided in the webinar platform at the bottom of your screen. If you would prefer you can visit: https://www.streamtext.net/player?event=APRIL  for full screen captions. If you are having any trouble participating please email mary.olson@mso.umt.edu for immediate assistance The IL-NET is a national training and technical assistance project for centers for independent living and statewide independent living councils. The IL-NET is operated by Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) in partnership with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), and Utah State University Center for Persons with Disabilities.  The IL-NET is supported by grant numbers 90ILTA0001 and 90ISTA0001 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy. 

Peer Support: The Bread and Butter of Independent Living

Linda Pogue – Disability Rights and IL Program Director – 404-687- 8890 x114 – GreenPogue@disABILITYLINK.org Ken Mitchell – Assistant Director – 404-687-8890 x103 – KMitchell@disABILITYLINK.org www.disABILITYLINK.org

Introduction: Bread and Butter means “an everyday or ordinary person or thing.” Bread and Butter is the basis of a sandwich. Bread and Butter or Peer Support is the everyday element or the basis of Centers for Independent Living

The Rules of disABILITY LINK’s Peer Support Groups: Be on time, we have a lot to cover Stick to agenda, but you are encouraged to ask questions Breaks are built into the agenda, but you are an adult and expected to do what you need to do Please respect one another at all times No interruptions No monopolizing Encourage you to fully participate Understand if you don’t want to participate Keep all discussion confidential – personal information shared by participants stays in the room

Definitions of Peer Support: Peer supporters assist people with disabilities to lead a self-determined life through support and resources Peer supporters are people with disabilities who have learned life strategies, how to be a self-advocate and how to live independently Peer supporters offer the benefit of our own experiences, passing along encouragement and support needed for others to construct their own advocacy and life strategies to bring about desired goals

“Been there, done that!” One person with a disability supporting another person with a disability Benefiting from the experiences of someone else (a trained peer supporter) in a similar situation Assisting someone to live their own independent life Carefully listening and asking questions to help people with disabilities make our own decisions

What is Peer Support? An ideal peer supporter will: Have a purpose and a goal Assist others in building their own independent lives Work as a collaborator rather than an overseer Run on empathy, not sympathy Build Circles of Support around consumers Build bridges to people and resources within the community Involve friends and family Help people help themselves Keep all information about their peer confidential

Peer Support is not: A gripe session About being an “expert” A quick fix – progress takes time Being a rescuer or mommy Professional counselling or therapy A substitute for meaningful social and other support services

True and False - Quiz from the disABILITY LINK Training: ? If a peer is having difficulty with a task, you immediately should help them ? If a peer has built defenses, one way to help is to tell them to get over it ? It is a peer supporter’s job to keep up with the latest information or research about your peer’s disability ? When a peer supporter has an established relationship with a peer, the supporter’s responses are less important ? Categorizing peers is an effective way to organize the work of peer supporters

The Who? What? Where? When? How? And Why? Of Peer Support: Who? – all disABILITY LINK staff and volunteers are trained peer supporters, with a 3 day training and 1/4ly follow ups – training is essential for meaningful peer support How? – following the principles of Independent Living and Peer Support, that is, (1) IL means each of us is the expert in our own lives, and, (2) there are already plenty of people who want to tell people with disabilities how to live our lives

What? – a powerful tool for change, in individual lives and in the community – the message of IL and the method of PS empowers and enables us in the disability community to live the lives of our own choosing Where? And When? – PS is a wonderfully flexible tool, it can be used in a wide range of locations and times, at the mutual convenience of peer supporter and peer (example of Donnie’s Story) Why? – PS is the “antidote” to the history of the disability community and experience of disability – the why of PS is the most important aspect! - PS changes lives, changes attitudes, changes outcomes for people with disabilities, it puts us in charge, it is all about people with disabilities and nothing about what people without disabilities do or don’t do

Conclusions: We are not “experts” in peer support, just in how we undertake peer support at disABILITY LINK and what we have learned in conversation with others such as yourselves This is an IL conversation, not everything in the world there is to know about peer support Quality Peer Support requires training, follow up, practice, support, time and energy Peer Support is mutually beneficial – both the peer supporter and the peer learn from the experience There is not only one way to undertake peer support!

Resources: The Georgia Peer Support Program – 3 day training http://disabilitylink.org/peer-support/ A Life of Choices: Donnie’s Story https://www.fcs.uga.edu/ihdd/resources-resource-center- resource-catalog NCIL Webinars and on-location training - https://www.ncil.org/annual-conference/training/

  ILRU on-demand trainings http://www.ilru.org/topics/peer-counseling-peer- support Get to the Core of It: Integrating CIL Core Services for a Holistic Consumer Experience Presenter(s): Darrel Christenson, Michelle Crain, Bruce E. Darling, Amina Donna Kruck, April Reed, Kimberly Tissot, Charlie Walters Get to the Core of It: Best Practices in the Four Core Services, Peer Support - A Proven Volunteer Model (1.5 Hours) Presenter(s): Amina Donna Kruck, April Reed Building an Effective Peer Support Program: A Proven Volunteer Model (15 Hours) Presenter(s): Amina Donna Kruck, April Reed Get to the Core of It: Best Practices in the Four Core Services - A Five Part Series Part 5: Peer Support (1.5 Hours) Presenter(s): Amina Donna Kruck, April Reed

Linda Pogue – Disability Rights and IL Program Director – 404-687-8890 x114 – GreenPogue@disABILITYLINK.org Ken Mitchell – Assistant Director – 404-687- 8890 x103 – KMitchell@disABILITYLINK.org www.disABILITYLINK.org