The staff at the DBSA national office is always in awe of the support our chapter leaders, facilitators and volunteers bring to their communities every day. We also recognize that during these difficult times, many of us could use some extra support as an extension of the regular chapter support group meeting.
To support our chapter leaders, facilitators and support group participants, DBSA applied for and was awarded a grant to provide six weeks of peer support services to individuals in our chapter network system.
Peer support services as defined by SAMHSA encompass a range of activities and interactions between people who share similar experiences of being diagnosed with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, or both. By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, certified peer support specialists:
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- help people to develop their own goals,
- create strategies for self-empowerment, and
- take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives for themselves.
The national office has been deploying certified peer support specialists as part of grant awards to provide one-one, community-based peer support services to the senior population since 2019. This new grant from SAMHSA, administered by the National Council for Behavioral Health, now gives us the capacity to offer these services to our chapters. The peer support services are:
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- at no cost to the individual receiving the service,
- scheduled as weekly, one-hour visits with a certified peer support specialist
- delivered via video conferencing at a time convenient to the peer.
DBSA appreciates the work of our chapter leaders, volunteers and participants and are pleased that this grant allows us to show our appreciation to these hard-working community volunteers. The grant award period runs through July 31, 2020 and space is limited. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please consider taking advantage of this service from the national office yourself and share information about this with chapter facilitators and support group participants.
Peers interested in participating in this weekly peer support program are asked to send an email indicating their interest to: peersupport@dbsalliance.org.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Foxworth
Advocacy Vice President
