1. People in Recovery in the Behavioral Health Workforce Presenter: Chacku Mathai Associate Executive Director New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services

2. 2 Organizational Vision for Recovery Believe that recovery is possible, even from the most tragic circumstances or disabling conditions Uncover abandoned hopes and dreams Discover our personhood through culture, strengths, values, skills Engage communities as life sustaining forces Re-author the way we see ourselves Reclaim a meaningful life and roles

3. 3 Themes to Consider Quality of life orientation as well as symptoms Capacity to individualize interventions Discharge planning with a focus on peer and natural supports Moving from diagnostically focused tracks to fully integrated services Supervision models to build hope and focus on recovery Increased visibility of people in recovery and alumni as mentors and bridgers to community

4. 4 Benefits of a New Workforce Culture  Reflects most basic values of recovery-oriented systems of care Hope and belief in recovery Person orientation Person involvement Self-determination Community inclusion Economic self-sufficiency Cultural Competence Workforce diversity  Regular opportunities to see “recovery in action” for consumers and providers

5. 5 General Workforce Roles for People in Recovery  Peer-run organizations, e.g. recovery centers  Peer counseling positions, e.g. bridgers  Regular employee positions such as therapist, practitioner, counselor, advocate, service coordinator, administrator…  Volunteer peer roles  Community citizen volunteers

6. 6 Developing Jobs for People in Recovery  Review workforce needs throughout the agency (evaluate service needs and gaps)  Include experience as a consumer of services in qualifications or preferences  Create educational equivalencies to standard college requirements, e.g. work experience, related credentials, certificates  Remove discriminatory or stigmatizing language from all written materials

7. 7 Creating diverse teams  Integrate peer positions in multi-disciplinary teams  Create flexible schedules  Career ladders with opportunities for advancement  Opportunities for recognized continuing education  Performance reviews

8. 8 Preparing the Work Environment  Dual relationships, role definition, boundaries  Culture and standards for self-disclosure  Understanding reasonable accommodations  Will professional roles be diminished?  Will consumers require unreasonable amount of support or lack necessary skills?  Role of consumer and non-consumer staff in staff meetings and social events  Engaging people in recovery as colleagues

9. 9 Preparing People in Recovery  Impact of employment on benefits  Fears about ability to do the job  Fear of not being liked or accepted  Potential loss of friendships with other consumers  Role of supervisor  Engaging other staff as colleagues

10. 10 Education and Training  Experience as a consumer does not equal capacity to serve in the workforce  Review existing employee training programs for discriminatory or stigmatizing language  Revise training programs to include recovery- oriented, person-centered, culturally competent content  Recognize credentials, e.g. CASAC, Recovery Coaching, CPRP, etc.

11. 11 Contact Information Please go to our website www.nyaprs.org for a description of all our available trainings. To schedule a training, please contact the NYAPRS Main Office at (518)436-0008

12. 12 Contact Information Center for Excellence in Integrated Care (CEIC) 71 W 23rd Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10010 tel 212.845.4400  fax 212.845.4650 www.nyshealth-ceic.org 