Implementation of Peer Support Specialists in Mental Health Centers-Presentation and Q&A

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, Dr. Terri Brister, Chief Program Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), introduces a webinar on the implementation of peer support specialists within a mental health center. The webinar is part of the SMI Advisor initiative, which is dedicated to helping clinicians implement evidence-based care for individuals with serious mental illness. The webinar offers Continuing Education credits for physicians, psychologists, and social workers. Dr. Brister introduces the speaker, Melody Medeiros, who is an LCPC with over a decade of experience in co-occurring treatment and mental health advocacy. Medeiros discusses the history of peer support, its importance, and the challenges associated with hiring and integrating peer support specialists within a treatment team. She emphasizes the need for training, support, and valuing peers as active members of the treatment team. Medeiros also shares the positive outcomes and cost savings associated with peer support. She concludes by highlighting the personal experiences and feedback of peer support specialists at Communicare, providing insight into the impact and value of their work. The video ends with information on accessing resources and a reminder to claim credits for attending the webinar. Overall, the webinar introduces the importance of peer support and offers suggestions for integrating it into mental health centers.

Keywords

Dr. Terri Brister

Chief Program Officer

National Alliance on Mental Illness

NAMI

webinar

peer support specialists

mental health center

SMI Advisor initiative

evidence-based care

Continuing Education credits