Peer-facilitated groups offer a safe, supportive environment for individuals as they focus upon recovery, offering choice in terms of their specific areas of interest and individual needs. Presenters will discuss the specific groups they facilitate, how they prepare and present group curriculum, ways they promote their groups to the people they serve, and success stories of individuals who benefited from peer-led groups. Peer-facilitated groups have the potential to revitalize peer teams and generate enthusiasm and participation, providing unique avenues where peer support can connect to the individuals we serve on another level. This presentation aims to offer takeaways that will assist peer providers in developing, launching, and successfully maintaining peer-led groups within their agencies.
Kelly Willis- CPSS
Krista Koppen- CPSS
Shannon Hoolihan- CPSS
Jeff Erno- CPSS
The presentation will provide brief historical context for the peer field for the past 15 years. Presenters will provide first-hand experiences with individuals they provide services with staff, administration, and community. Discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly of dealing with success, failure, grief, burnout, and learning moments from ethical dilemmas faced with colleagues and staff.
Angela Fay- CPRC
Chris O’Droski- CPRC
In our role as peer support specialists and recovery coaches, we deal with many challenges helping others with their mental health and SUD, often forgetting to take care of ourselves. In this session we will discuss burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma and the interconnectedness of them in the roles we play. We will look at the characteristics of each of them and talk about the various warning signs, symptoms, and impacts that each of these can cause in our jobs. We will discuss ways these can be prevented, both on an organizational and personal level. This session will look at how to build a burnout-resistant culture and focus on prioritizing self-care.
Angie Messinger- CPSS, CPRC: OnPoint Allegan
Nichole Aldrich- CPSS, CPRC: OnPoint Allegan
The purpose of this program is to help you, as a peer, understand what spirituality is and how you would help someone discover it. Explore your own beliefs and values regarding spirituality. This training will provide you with the tools and resources needed as a peer so you can speak about spirituality in an educated, accepting way beyond any bias you may carry. Spirituality plays a large part in recovery and by completing this course, you will be able to help those you serve understand, accept, and embrace spirituality for themselves.
*If you have any concerns that will be shared or practice here may conflict with your religious beliefs, please consider not attending this offering. Full participation is required for credit for this offering*
Rodasi Campbell- CPRC, RCPF, ERYT
This session is a reflective, skill-building workshop- it is designed to increase meaningful engagement with individuals experiencing addiction, mental health challenges, and crisis. Blending practical tools with compassionate insight, this session supports peer support specialists, peer recovery coaches, and others in recovery-oriented roles, overcomes internal barriers, and cultivates flexible, empathetic responses. Topics include: hard reduction, response flexibility, transformative listening, mindfulness, self-compassion, and honoring personal choice- all aimed at strengthening authentic, person-centered connections.
Jose Salinas- CPRC
