Peer Support Professionals Lunch and Learns

2024 Peer Support Professionals Lunch and Learn Series
Most Tuesdays
May 14 through July 23

The Consortium is excited to announce an educational series to help peer support professionals develop skills and learn the latest in their field. Sessions will reserve time for attendees to connect with others in the field from across the state. All sessions are free and on Zoom. COPA CE credits are pending.

The lunch and learns are developed with Mental Health Partners and a variety of presenters.

Sessions also will reserve time for networking, so attendees can connect with others in the field from across the state. The sessions will cover a range of topics. The series begins on Tuesday, May 14, and there will be presentations through July 23. See below for details.

Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for Recovery Coaches — May 14

Tuesday, May 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Session from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with group networking from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m.

Join us for a dynamic and interactive workshop, “Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for Recovery Coaches.” In this 90-minute session, we invite peer support professionals to embark on a journey of skill enhancement. Motivational Interviewing serves as the cornerstone of this workshop, empowering recovery coaches with the tools to effectively communicate and inspire positive behavioral change in those navigating their recovery journey. Over the course of 90 minutes, participants will delve into practical strategies aimed at building rapport, nurturing motivation, and guiding individuals towards self-discovery and commitment to change.

Through engaging discussions, interactive exercises, and real-world scenarios, attendees will gain an overview of key principles and techniques essential for fostering impactful coaching relationships. This session not only strengthens the capabilities of peer recovery coaches but also fosters an environment of empathy and collaboration.

Speaker

Racquel Garcia, NCPRSS, YRC
Chief Innovation Officer – HardBeauty
Innovation Director – HardBeauty Foundation
racquel@hardbeauty.life
Racquel is a passionate advocate for change, working tirelessly to destigmatize and educate on the challenges of overcoming substance misuse and systemic and familial obstacles. She is deeply committed to advocating for underserved populations, particularly on the issues of racial equity, the power of peer coaching, and criminal justice reform.

Racquel is the owner & Chief Innovation Officer of HardBeauty and serves as the Executive Director of the HardBeauty Foundation. Her foundation is the first and only peer-led organization in Douglas County, Colorado, offering hybrid coaching and programming that serves the entire state.

Racquel’s educational background includes an Associates Degree in Addiction Counseling from ICDC College. She is also a National Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with NAADAC and possesses qualifications as an ARISE Interventionist, Subject Matter Expert and Training Facilitator for Opioid Response Network, working at the national level on behalf of SAMSHA. March of 2023, Racquel began a 2-year term on the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council. Her appointment by the Attorney General highlights her expertise in the field. She serves as a member of the Behavioral Health Administration Advisory Council (BHACC). In this capacity, she collaborates to create a people-first behavioral health system in Colorado. Racquel’s involvement extends nationally as the Vice-Chair of the National Naloxone Project, where she is a leader in MOMs+. Her contributions have made her a powerful influencer, particularly with the “Tough As A Mother Stronger Than Addiction” campaign, which acknowledges her impactful work with mothers in Colorado and across the nation.

Harm Reduction in the Peer Support Professional Field — May 28

Tuesday, May 28, Noon to 2 p.m.
Session only: Noon to 1:30 p.m.; Networking: 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

This session is designed for peer support professionals to explore the powerful intersection of harm reduction and recovery journeys. We’ll delve into the core principles of harm reduction, emphasizing meeting people where they are at with compassion and non-judgment. This session includes a harm reduction legislative discussion.

Brief overview of the history of harm reduction
How peers and affected individuals changed the landscape of care
Changes in legislation over the past 50 years
Brief overview of National Overdose Crisis
Understanding the importance of harm reduction tools
“We can’t recover if we’re not alive”
Harm Reduction Framework
Overview of the principles and pillars of harm reduction
Supporting multiple pathways of recovery
The importance of maintaining a holistic, client-centered lens in recovery support services.
Current Harm Reduction Legislation
A brief look at new and changing legislation to support harm reduction efforts.

Speaker

Maggie Seldeen
(she/they/them)
Founder, Director, Peer
High Rockies Harm Reduction
maggie@highrockiesharmreduction.com

Maggie Seldeen is the founder and director of High Rockies Harm Reduction, an organization committed to reducing overdose deaths, the spread of disease and other negative consequences of substance use through the expansion of evidence-based programs for people who use drugs and their affected loved ones. Maggie was raised in Carbondale, Colorado, lost her mother to an overdose as a teenager and is a person in harm reduction-based recovery. She has trained hundreds of people across the country on Narcan and the current overdose/fentanyl epidemic and distributed thousands of naloxone kits, fentanyl test strips, and more across Colorado. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, music, and art.

A Client-Centered Approach to Recovery — June 4

Tuesday, June 4, noon to 2:00 p.m.
Session only, no group networking.

There are many pathways to recovery including religious, spiritual, secular, gender specific, and others. Participants will learn about the philosophy, methods, language, and accessibility of various pathways and become an expert in the resources available to their clients.

Speaker

Irina Bogomolova
Founder & CEO
Choice in Recovery
irina@choiceinrecovery.net
Irina is a Russian born, Colorado native-enough, University of Colorado at Boulder graduate; holding a BA in Sociology and Russian. Irina founded Choice in May of 2014; her own journey in which she chose moderation, inspired her to step into the field and express the need for various pathways to recovery. Irina has trained on the topic at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Auraria Campus, Denver Health, the Office of Behavioral Health, The 22nd National Symposium of Juvenile Services, the Southern Nevada Substance Use and Behavioral Health Summit, Surrounded by Recovery, The University of Denver, The Colorado Association of Addictions Professionals Conference, and more.

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: How did we get here? — June 18

Tuesday, June 18, Noon to 2 p.m.
Session noon to 1:30 p.m., group topic discussion from 1:30 to 2:00 p.m.

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: A Culturally Responsive Framework, Session 1: How did we get here?
Culture is a complex system that groups use to organize and define themselves and others according to shared languages, customs, worldviews, values, and behaviors. Cultural responsiveness requires recognizing the complexities of culture in one’s interactions and engagements with diverse individuals and groups; it requires being humble about what we know, what we do not know, and what we could possibly never know. This session highlights some of the complexities of culture and cultural identities as a way of revealing how cultural humility can be utilized as a tool for being culturally responsive in our health equity work.

Speaker

Kat Martinez, PhD (they/them)
JEDI Curriculum Designer & Facilitator
Mental Health Partners
kmartinez@mhpcolorado.org
Kat Martinez (they/them), was born and raised in rural Southwestern Colorado where their family still resides. When Kat it not with family camping and hiking in the mountains or fishing at Navajo Lake, they like to read a science-fiction book to be inspired about different worlds and ways of being in community with diverse others.

Kat’s Ph.D. in Sociology, time teaching as an Associate Professor of Gender Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and work as an Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine refined their desire to make a social justice impact in mental and behavioral health. In pursuit of this objective, Kat joined Mental Health Partners of Colorado in 2023 as a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Curriculum Designer and Facilitator. Here, they develop and facilitate trainings focused on promoting understanding and action toward health equity and justice, as well as inclusion and belonging, at the organization and across the communities the organization serves.

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: where do we go from here? — June 25

Tuesday, June 25, noon to 2 p.m.
Session 12 – 1:30 p.m., group topic discussion from 1:30 – 2:00 p.m.

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: A Culturally Responsive Framework Practice, Session 2: Now that we know, where do we go from here?
The three tenets of cultural humility are: life-long learning and critical self-reflection, mitigating power imbalances, and institutional accountability (Tervalon & Murray-García, 1998). In this session, the scenarios presented help participants to utilize cultural humility as a tool for practicing cultural responsiveness. The goal is to challenge ourselves to question what we know, what we do not know, and what we could possibly never know, then to act in meaningful ways that promote mutual respect and regard for diverse groups, as well as health equity within diverse communities.

Speaker

Kat Martinez, PhD (they/them)
JEDI Curriculum Designer & Facilitator
Mental Health Partners
kmartinez@mhpcolorado.org

Kat Martinez (they/them), was born and raised in rural Southwestern Colorado where their family still resides. When Kat it not with family camping and hiking in the mountains or fishing at Navajo Lake, they like to read a science-fiction book to be inspired about different worlds and ways of being in community with diverse others.

Grief & Loss — July 2

Tuesday, July 2, Noon to 2 p.m.

Whether you are grieving or know others experiencing grief, understanding the fundamentals of grief and can help us better understand what to expect, provide effective interventions, and find ways to support ourselves and those grieving. Another component of grief education is how substance use can affect grief, both in how people process their grief as well as in ways substance use disorders can cause grief in people’s lives. During this presentation we will cover what to expect after a loss, the unique impacts substance use disorders can affect grievers, and helpful suggestions on how to move through grief.

Speaker

Carrie Bauer, BSW, MS
Community Outreach Liaison & Program Assistant
Heart Light Center
cbauer@heartlightcenter.org

Carrie has worked in the end-of-life and grief field for almost twenty years, and has learned that her passion is supporting grievers of all ages. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and Marian University with a Master’s in Thanatology. Carrie has worked at hospices in Colorado and Iowa as bereavement coordinator and volunteer coordinator, as well as the director of a bereavement program within a funeral home in Des Moines, Iowa. Carrie’s other passion is educating professionals and community members on various grief topics and has had the opportunity to present at conferences both on the local and national level. Carrie is honored to join the HeartLight team to provide support and resources to those grieving. You are welcome to contact Carrie for questions about programs, services, and resources at cbauer@heartlightcenter.org

Ethics Refresh: A deep dive into ethical decision making in small or rural communities — July 9

Tuesday, July 9, noon to 2 p.m.
Session only, group discussion at the end

Ethical Decision Making for Peers in small/rural communities; Does the size or location of a community affect ethical decisions? Are there different ethical factors to consider? Case studies and the ethical decision-making process. How does effective boundary management, recovery/self-care relate to ethical decision making? Open conversation and discussion with Q & A

Speaker

Jean Blackwell, CPFS, ICPR, RCP-F (she/her)
Peer Supervisor
Recovery Support Services
Crossroads Turning Points, Inc.
jblackwell@crossroadstp.org
My name is Jean Blackwell, I am woman in active and sustained recovery since November 13, 2014. What that means to me is that I have not misused any substance in over 9 years. I am a CCAR (Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery) Recovery Coach Professional-Facilitator, a Colorado Peer and Family Specialist, an Internationally Certified Recovery Coach, and the Supervisor for Recovery Support Services at Crossroads Turning Points. My journey with substance misuse began at 13 years old and evolved for 20 years before finding my recovery path. I believe that ANYONE can find a recovery path that works for them and that mistakes along the way are OPPORTUNITIES to learn.

Conflict Management & Advocacy — July 16

Tuesday, July 16, noon to 2 p.m.

Conflict Management & Advocacy: Skill Building Around Conflict Management

Session 1: By the end of this module, students will be able to define conflict management, recognize different conflict management styles, understand how personality plays a role in conflict management, identify common causes of conflict and utilize de-escalation techniques effectively.

Speaker

Rachel Fowler
Serenity Recovery Connections
rfowler@srchope.org

Rachel is a person in recovery from substance use disorder, trauma, and anxiety. She began her recovery journey in 1999 when she was impacted by the criminal justice system. Since that time, she has ventured down many diverse and divergent pathways on the road to healing. Rachel has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, is a Master Positive Psychology Coach and Trainer, and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) advocate, Inclusive Leadership Development Facilitator, and a Recovery Coach Professional Facilitator. She is the Director of Training and Professional Development at Serenity Recovery Connection in Colorado Springs, CO., has her own nonprofit Recover Simply, Inc., and makes her home at the base of Pike’s Peak (America’s Mountain) in Manitou Springs, CO.

Conflict Management & Advocacy: Skill building around conflict management — July 23

Tuesday, July 23, noon to 2 p.m.

Conflict Management & Advocacy: Skill Building Around Conflict Management

Session 2: By the end of this modules, participants will be able to recognize different factors that affect advocacy, understand how conflict can affect advocacy, utilize methods for managing risks and understand the characteristics of ethical advocacy.

Speaker

Rachel Fowler
Serenity Recovery Connections
rfowler@srchope.org