Disability Pride Parade Rolls Through New York
More than 5,000 disabled people rolled, motored and strolled up Broadway from Union Square to Madison Square Park on Sunday, July 12, 2016 for the second annual Disability Pride Parade, one of the largest gatherings celebrating and advocating for disability rights in the United States.
Who’s Watching the Mental Health Providers?
By Warren Berke, Chair, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Community Advisory Board
Proper Customer Service Can Prevent a Mental Health Crisis
A functioning client with bipolar and anxiety disorders, of a well known mental health service provider in NYC, has to have his regulated drug prescription renewed every thirty days. Being responsible and knowing his need for the medication, he visits his provider and requests the renewal prescription one week prior to finishing up the current doses. The doctor informs him that he will send it electronically to his pharmacy.
Two days go by and the client does not get notification that the prescription is ready. The client calls his pharmacy to check and they inform him that they have not received the prescription. The client calls the provider. They inform him that the prescription will go out “right away.” The client checks with the pharmacy the next day; still no prescription. The client now has two doses of medication left, calls the provider, and is assured the prescription will be sent out. Client checks with the pharmacy the next day; no prescription has been received. With one dose left, the client begins to feel the symptoms of anxiety.
Another day goes by and the client is out of medication due to the non-performance of the provider. Client is getting very anxious, and, for the second time, goes to his provider on Saturday morning. He sees his doctor and is told by the doctor that the prescription will go out that day before the doctor leaves. Client checks with pharmacy early Saturday afternoon, and is told that the prescription has not been received. Client calls provider and is informed the doctor has left and will not be back until Tuesday. Client asks if another doctor can submit the electronic prescription. He is told it is not the provider's policy and to go to the emergency room to get the medication. Client is having an anxiety attack and physical discomfort, goes to the emergency room, waits two hours to request four doses to hold him over until his doctor returns on Tuesday. The doctor at the emergency room checks records and agrees, giving client one dose (Saturday night) and a paper prescription for three more doses.
It is Tuesday, eight days after the client requested the refill of the prescription. The client is informed that the doctor is not in until 5 pm. On the ninth day, the pharmacy receives the prescription.
The provider has failed to deliver the proper services to its client. By shirking their responsibility to provide good customer service, both the doctor and provider created both a human and financial toll.
The Human Toll: a client goes from wellness to crisis, not due to his mental illness, but due to poor customer service delivered by the provider and its doctor. The client had to invest 10 direct hours and three days of discomfort from anxiety, trying to receive the simple, basic service of a prescription refill.
The Financial Toll: the provider will be paid for two visits and the hospital will be paid for an emergency room visit and other services provided. One could speculate that the above services will be invoiced for a couple thousand dollars versus the much lower cost of one office visit, all due to the provider's poor customer service.
Is this an isolated patient experience or does this happen more often than we know? Mistakes happen, but for a provider to not correct the mistake and cause a series of events that result in a mental health crisis that wastes scarce mental health treatment dollars is grossly negligent. The State and City have sophisticated methods to evaluate the level and effectiveness of care being delivered to persons with mental illness. Providing good customer service should be a major part of that equation.
Editor's Note: This article does not necessarily represent the views of City Voices, our readers, or the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. If you live in NYC and something similar has happened to you with your provider, you can call the Office of Consumer Affairs at (347) 396-7194.
Forward to Peer Specialist Section
By Carlton Whitmore, Director, Office of Consumer Affairs, NYC Dept. Health & Mental Hygiene
Never before in the history of the peer movement has there been a time when Peer Specialists were valued as much as they are today. Peer Specialists are now recognized as an integral piece of systemic transformation and considered a “best practice” for the communities we serve. Peer support services have proven effectiveness in many different research studies. Reduction in hospitalization and increased recovery for individuals working with peer support specialists has been documented.
The Affordable Care Act will help to create many new opportunities for the peer workforce to help individuals receive the services and supports they need to achieve and sustain long-term recovery.
Some of the most important steps in supporting the peer workforce are credentialing for peers and training for supervisors. Training for supervisors and others is needed to increase the understanding of the unique role of peers. In addition, peer credentialing is probably the single most important step in growing and supporting a qualified peer workforce. Without credentialing it will be difficult for the peer workforce to expand in reach and scope.
The NYC Peer Workforce will continue to grow and create more opportunities for all communities to have access to and benefit from peer support services.
Everything You Need to Know About the 10th Annual NYC Conference for Working Peer Specialists
By Gita Enders, MA, CPRP, NYC Health + Hospitals and Jonathan P. Edwards, LMSW, ACSW, M.Phil., NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene
Hearts and Minds Fulfilled Like Never Before
The 10th Annual NYC Conference for Working Peer Specialists, aptly branded “Then, Now, WOW!” was held on July 14, 2016, at New York University’s Kimmel Center. Nearly 300 individuals who identify themselves by a host of titles that contain the word peer attended this event, bringing greater visibility to NYC’s peer specialist workforce.
Every successful event begins at the door! We would like to acknowledge Deborah Short, Pat Feinberg, Rachel Salomon, and Margie Staker for their graciousness and efficiency in greeting and registering participants, presenters, invited guests, and exhibitors.
An enthusiastic group of Howie-the-Harp trainee volunteers under the direction of Lynnae Brown provided a solid foundation for the conference, assisting with everything from early registration to prepping the resource room and providing invaluable assistance throughout the day’s program. As people gathered near the breakfast tables they were provided with conference programs, lunch and raffle tickets, as well as a commemorative “Conference Players” keepsake booklet, created by Jonathan Edwards, containing photographs and biographies celebrating ten years of speakers and attendees. The booklet also acknowledged the efforts of the conference planning committee: Teena Brooks, Celia Brown, Lynnae Brown, Jonathan Edwards, Gita Enders, Sara Goodman, Larry Hochwald, Yumiko Ikuta, Desiree Moore, Digna Quinones, Deborah Short, Ellen Stoller, Carlton Whitmore, and Moneer Zarou. Moneer, who supplied a video performance for the opening program, also received an award in recognition of his tremendous support and creative contributions to the committee and to the conference.
The conference opened with the Lavender Light Choir singing “Seasons of Love,” from the musical “Rent,” which asks what is the proper way to measure the value of “a year in a life.” We chose it to open our 10th anniversary conference as a way to honor the passage of time, what we have achieved as a group, and what all peers have achieved in their lives. The chorus says that the most effective way is to measure in love. When Lavender Light was formed in 1985, it was the only lesbian and gay gospel choir in the world; they strive to offer strength, peace, and hope to their members and to their audiences, similar to messages of hope shared by peer specialists.
Following welcoming remarks by Celia Brown, Regional Advocacy Specialist, New York City Field Office of the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), Carlton Whitmore, Director, Office of Consumer Affairs, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), OMH Commissioner Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D., Myla Harrison, ?Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Mental Health, DOHMH and Lynn Videka, Ph.D., Dean of the NYU Silver School of Social Work, a lively panel discussion, moderated by Peter Ashenden, Director of Consumer and Family Affairs for Optum Behavioral Solutions, set the tone for a hugely successful event. Panelists Celia Brown, Laverne Miller, Leslie Nelson, and Dr. Peter Stastny shared their histories as agents of change and talked about their visions for the future of peer specialists and peer services.
Each year the resource room, overseen by Yumiko Ikuta, attracts more and more attendees as our dedicated exhibitors provide useful information on job opportunities, educational, vocational, advocacy and health care options. In addition, wellness activities such as chair massage and Reiki were provided throughout the entire day. The resource room has grown in popularity from a “clearinghouse” for information to a lively meeting place where people reunite, network, and gather resources. This year was particularly exciting with the new addition of several managed care and behavioral health organizations including Beacon Health Options, Optum and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield.
We acknowledge and extend our gratitude to our community partners and stakeholders: Academy of Peer Services; Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State (ASAP); Baltic Street AEH, Inc.; Beacon Health Options; City Voices; Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies Center for Rehabilitation and Recovery; Community Access, Inc.; Howie the Harp Advocacy Center; Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield; Health Plus; Hearing Voices NYC; Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services; Mental Health Empowerment Project; Mental Health Association of Westchester; NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Consumer Affairs; NYS Peer Specialist Certification Board; NYS Office of Mental Health, NYC Field Office Office of Consumer Affairs; and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.
Workshops and Activities
Our morning lineup addressed such topics as Medicaid Managed Care, Health Homes, supervision, and career development, while also exploring current issues involving suicide, trauma-informed care and advocacy, as well as the role of peers. The morning saw participants hard at work as they experienced interactive breakout sessions and activities. As a testament to the conference as a whole, the afternoon workshops did not wane in comparison to earlier workshops and activities that set the stage for the day. Knowledge, inspiration, tools, skills, and creative expressions were as abundant as they had been in the morning workshops.
A selection of hearty box lunches was followed by a comedy program directed by David Granirer of “Stand Up For Mental Health,” which teaches stand-up comedy to people with mental illness as a way of building self-esteem and fighting public stigma. More about David and his exciting programs can be found at http://standupformentalhealth.com. Comedians included Angela Cerio, Jonathan Edwards, Gita Enders, Sara Goodman, Jeff McQueen, Digna Quinones, Laurie Vite, and Dennis Whetsel.
Raffles were held throughout the day, offering terrific prizes such as books donated by Darby Penney and Mary Ellen Copeland, and other products and tools, including candles and incense, promoting wellness and job readiness, and a lucky few were the winners of Galaxy tablets and a fitbit device designed to keep track of fitness goals such as walking and heart-rate.
The day, much too soon, culminated in a reception that boasted colorful vegetable platters, bowls of creamy hummus, sinfully delicious chocolate brownie squares, and an assortment of chilled beverages. In these final moments, participants, still energized by who they saw, what they contributed, and what they learned, moved swiftly through the narrow reception space, completing evaluations, exchanging contact information, snapping final pictures, and languishing in the feeling of accomplishment. Yes, this was our 10th year of working and growing together, building the peer specialist profession, and creating many ways to share a message of hope. Above the Washington Square arch the sun faded from bright yellow to amber. We were transformed. Hearts and minds fulfilled like never before, yet already looking forward to our next conference on July 13th, 2017. So please save the date!
Grateful thanks and acknowledgments are made to sponsoring agencies: New York State Office of Mental Health; New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; NYC Health + Hospitals, Office of Behavioral Health; Community Access, Howie the Harp Advocacy Center; Baltic Street AEH, Inc.; The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies; YOUTH POWER!; NYAPRS; and Advocacy Consultation Services.
The NYC Peer Workforce Development Committee is Striving to Overcome All Obstacles
By Helen “Skip” Skipper, NYS Certified Peer Specialist
Now is the Time to Get Involved as the Peer Workforce Grows
The Peer Workforce Development effort was born out of a need to support our newly expanding peer workforce. In 2015, when New York State Medicaid reimbursable behavioral health services for adults moved from a fee-for-service system to a value-based-payments managed care system, federal rules permitted reimbursement for rehabilitative services, including peer and family support, when provided by Certified Peer Specialists and Certified Peer Recovery Advocates. New York City and New York State have begun to implement these Home and Community Based Services in a wide array of behavioral health treatment programs. While this has created many new opportunities for New York peers it has also opened our eyes to a range of disparities. The Peer Workforce Development Committee, which includes our Leadership and Steering members, is striving to overcome ALL obstacles.
We are comprised of peers in all titles, including but not limited to: peer specialists, peer counselors, peer wellness coaches, and peer recovery coaches. We are trained professionals who work in every aspect of behavioral health, and who are mentored by established New York State and City peer leaders. Our message is simple. In the words of the great tradition of basketball, “We Got Next!”
We got next: In involving all behavioral health services in New York City in an open dialogue concerning the implementation of peer support.
We got next: In discussing pay parity, supportive services and ongoing/next-level trainings.
We got next: In formulating our own “Peer Workforce Culture.”
We got next: In advocating for more/better jobs, full-time hours, more responsibilities, and supervisory positions.
We got next: In ensuring that ALL behavioral health agencies in New York City incorporate some form of peer support.
We got next: In organizing our workforce; preparing for the possibility of eventual unionization, offering us even more protections and security.
We got next: In building a bridge between providers and peers…breaking down all barriers!
We got next: In developing funding streams with fiscal partners to help us achieve our goals.
We got next: In developing partnerships with other organizations geared towards peer development, both national and international.
We encourage all New York City peers to join our Workforce Development effort by attending one of our meetings or signing up for our mailing list. We can be reached at: oca@health.nyc.gov.
My First Job as a Peer Specialist
By Boyd Perez, NYS Certified Peer Specialist
Peers Can De-escalate a Situation
My life changed the moment I began training to become a certified peer specialist at Howie-the-Harp Advocacy Center. The two things that impressed me, out of the many things taught at Howie the Harp, were the importance of treating everyone with unconditional high regard, and the need to meet people where they are at. The thought of dealing with people in this fashion rang my bell. If everyone did this the world would be a paradise.
After five months of intensive classroom training, I began my internship at Education Assistance Corporation (EAC) in Brooklyn. This agency helps those with forensic backgrounds and a diagnosis to reintegrate into the community. My supervisor allowed me to complete the Academy of Peer Services online exams at work, for which I was grateful. When I passed the courses I began doing a lot of outreach (calling hospitals to help locate peers with whom the agency had lost contact) and escorts (taking peers to the Human Resources Administration, Social Security or housing appointments).
On my first escort, I shadowed an intensive case manager. We picked up a peer who had been released from an upstate prison, at a parole office in midtown Manhattan, and took him to Bellevue to be processed into the shelter system. Because no beds were available at Bellevue, the peer was referred to Wards Island. The peer became extremely agitated, and vehemently told the case manager that he didn’t want to go to Wards Island, but instead wanted to stay at his mother’s apartment in Coney Island. After much cajoling, the case manager convinced the peer it would be in his best interest not to violate his parole, and to stay at Wards Island until he received permission from his parole officer to stay at his mother’s place. The subway ride up to 125th Street to catch the bus to Wards Island was tense. The anger never left the peer as he started ignoring the case manager.
When we arrived at 125th Street, the three of us stood silently together on Lexington Avenue. The case manager pulled me to the corner and said, “This guy is angry. See if you can calm him down.”
So I approached the peer and asked, “How are you doing?”
“I don’t want to stay at Wards Island. I just got out of jail, man, I don’t want to deal with no one’s bull anymore,” he said.
“I know you’re being done dirty, bro,” I replied.
The peer’s body softened and his eyes became wide with relief. We connected.
I continued, “No one who wants to do right should be put in this shelter system. I spent ninety-nine days at the Men’s Atlantic Shelter and five months at Samaritan Village. So I know what you’re concerned about. But understand that the people at EAC are doing what they can to get you your own place. You’re not alone. You’re being looked out for. The process of getting your own place will be long, but I went through it and now I have an apartment of my own. I think you can stand the wait to get your own place too.”
The peer smiled, asked me for a cigarette, and the M35 bus arrived.
The Strategy Workshop for Peer Career Development
By Elizabeth Breier, M.A., Director of Wellness Centers Administration, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey and Jessica Wolf, Ph.D, Principal, Decision Solutions and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry
From the 10th Annual NYC Conference for Working Peer Specialists
The workshop goal was to increase working peer specialists’ knowledge about how to progress in their careers. Half of the 20 participants were certified peer specialists; others were working peers not yet certified as well as supervisors and non-peer staff. The co-presenters described the current status of peer training and certification in New York City, State and nationally as well as the variety of roles and settings in which peers can work.
Specific individual and organizational actions needed to support and promote peer career development were described.
These include: proactive human resources strategies; the Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP) credential; academic credit for life experience; academic credit for peer training; community college degree options; non-credit continuing education options; in-service training; and training programs such as eCPR, WHAM (Whole Health Activation Management), WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), IPS (Intentional Peer Support), Veterans’ peer roles, etc.
Also considered were challenges and rewards of moving into non-peer positions, impact of organizational culture on peer career mobility, higher education and career path options, and ongoing networking.
One example of success: A person with lived experience who had a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field (sports management), obtained a 27-credit mental health certificate from a community college, went to work in a psychosocial clubhouse and also a mental health center as a peer worker. Then this individual studied for an MSW degree and graduated with honors. After that, the new MSW undertook the number of hours to become licensed as an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker). This finally led to an increase in compensation into the social worker job series.
Another example of success: A student with lived experience had taken some community college courses and never finished until obtaining the 27-credit mental health certificate. She went on to obtain a bachelor's degree in social work and has been working for a mental health agency ever since.
Lively interchange followed on private and public career paths; reasons why peers work in the field; challenges in retaining “peer-ness” while acquiring additional educational credentials and moving ahead in a peer career; moving into non-peer positions; wage equity issues; avoiding “coercion, co-optation, compliance” and tokenism; attaining an agency critical mass of peer workers; and disclosure issues in peer and non-peer roles.
A handout provided information on specific options peers can undertake as well as possible new credentials and modified academic curricula that may become available in the future.
