Dear APS Learning Community,
We are now in the final four weeks of our Fall Term, which ends on November 29, 2019. We hope your learning experience has been a positive one. Remember, our user support specialist, Maryam, is available during business hours to answer questions or help with technical issues you might encounter with the system. You can reach Maryam by email at: academyofpeerservicesnyomh@gmail.com
There will not be a Virtual Community newsletter in November, but we will continue to provide short highlights about events and opportunities in the peer workforce. The Virtual Learning Community website has a calendar of events and job bank that are updated regularly and it can accessed by clicking the Virtual Community logo at the bottom of the Academy of Peer Services or directly by clicking here.
APS Announcements
Virtual Learning Community -- Next Webinar
A Tale of Two Peer Certifications (CPS and CRPA)
November 1, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
The next Virtual Community webinar is this Friday, November 1, 2019 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm with Ruth Riddick of the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State (ASAP) and Joseph Swinford of the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB). They will discuss the benefits of certification for the peer workforce, the development of the two different peer certifications in New York State and answer questions related to the different certifications.
The deadline to register is 10:00 am on Nov 1. To learn more, click here.
Submit questions about these two certifications for the presenters by the end of the day October 31 by email to academy.virtual.community@gmail.com.
For recordings of past Virtual Community webinars, click here.
For recordings of past webinars for Supervisors, click here.
Academy of Peer Services – New Elective Course
Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope
The goal of this new Elective course is to provide an overview of what financial wellness is, why it matters to recovery, and ways in which peers are uniquely able to support individuals to build financial hope and access available financial wellness services and supports.
The author is Oscar Jiménez-Solomon who is a mental health researcher and advocate. He has dedicated his career to improving the financial wellness of people in behavioral health recovery and their access to culturally competent services through research, program development and policy advocacy. The course includes tools for self-discovery and engagement with peers and several peer support providers stepped forward to tell their personal stories of what it meant in their recovery to move from financial hardship to financial wellness.
This course was developed in collaboration with the New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, with many contributors in the peer community.
To learn more about the course, click here.
Community Highlights
Upcoming Conferences
October 31 and November 1, 2019, Annual Awards and Conference Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS). For more, click here.
November 12-15, 2019 CCAR National Recovery Conference, Punta Gorda, Florida. For more, click here.
November 14-15, 2019 NYAPRS Recovery and Rehabilitation Academy for PROS and HCBS Practitioners - Pathways to Recovery: Multiple Roads to Wellbeing. Saratoga Springs, NY. For more, click here.
November 14, 2019 NJ PRA 39th Fall Conference, The Art and Value of Psychiatric Rehabilitation with Keynote Speaker Dan Fisher. Edison, NJ. For more, click here.
November 18-19, 2019 3rd Annual New York Peer Specialist Certification Board Conference, Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, http://nypeerspecialist.org/
Other Opportunities for Education and Connection
October 30, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, Webinar: Integrating NYS Certified Peer Workers into the Health Home Care Team. Health Home Program, Division of Program Development and Management. To learn more, click here.
October 30, 1:00 – 5:00 pm, Job Fair, Lexington Center for Recovery, Poughkeepsie. To learn more, click here.
*October 31, 7-8:30 pm, Healing Connections Support Group. Held in Ronkonkoma at the Association for Mental Health and Wellness. To learn more. To learn more, click here.
November 1, 2019, Deadline to Apply for Spring 2020 Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy Training. To learn more, click here.
*November 2 and 3, 6:30 – 7:30 pm, Healing Connections Support Group. Online Support Group hosted by the Association for Mental Health and Wellness. To learn more. To learn more, click here.
November 7, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Comedy Night. Bridges. Rockland County. To learn more, click here.
November 12, 5:30 – 6:30 pm, Academy of Peer Services Virtual Community Online Networking Call. To join the call, first join our free email list, click here.
November 13, 4:30 – 5:30 pm, Ongoing Employment Support and Education, Putting ‘Career’ in Career Development with Liz Breier. Held at the Association for Mental Health and Wellness, Ronkonkoma, NY with options to join online. To learn more, click here.
November 19, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Statewide Town Hall Meeting (Albany and Online), New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Sullivan, click here.
November 21, 3:30 – 5:00 pm, Long Island Peer Networking Group, Ronkonkoma, NY The Impact of Labels with Christopher Loliscio. Held at the Association for Mental Health and Wellness. To learn more, click here.
November 21, 3:30 – 7:00 pm, Peer Networking Resource and Career Fair, Rochester, NY. (Providers/exhibitors, deadline to participate, October 31. To apply, click here). Those seeking certification or employment, click here.
November 21, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Open House for the Rutgers Undergraduate Certificate in Peer Support. To learn more, click here.
November 26, 5:30 – 6:30 pm, Academy of Peer Services Virtual Community Online Networking Call. To join the call, first join our free email list, click here.
*Healing Connections Support Group meets weekly in person at the Association for Mental Health And Wellness on Thursday from 7:00-8:30 pm. Healing Connections meets online every Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. To learn more, click here.
Recent Job Postings
The Virtual Learning Community maintains a Job Bank that averages 150 openings per month for peer positions in an near New York State. Postings submitted directly by employers are highlighted.
Hudson River Region
Training & Technical Assistance Facilitator
NYAPRS
Syracuse
Peer Specialist
Liberty Resources
Albany
Advocacy Specialist 4
NYS OMH Office of Consumer Affairs
Buffalo, Rochester, Bath, Jamestown and Olean
Certified Peer Support Specialist
Venture Forthe
Oneonta
Peer Support Specialists
(multiple positions)
Liberty Resources
Syracuse
Peer Support Specialist
Unique Peerspectives / Apply online through AccessCNY
St. Lawrence Co. / Ogdensburg
Peer Specialist
S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P.
To view more of the 150+ job openings in the Job Bank, click here.
Join Our Virtual Community
Do you want to connect with others in the peer support community? Join the Virtual Learning Community email list for more announcements about events and opportunities to participate in meetings and events. The Virtual Community is open to all who have an interest or involvement in the peer support workforce. When you join, you will also receive notifications about our twice per month online networking meetings.
Upcoming Virtual Community Networking Meetings:
Tuesday, November 12, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Tuesday, November 26, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Tuesday, December 10, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
When you join, you will get the connection information. To join, click here.
Thank you for your participation in the Academy!
Rita Cronise, Virtual Community Coordinator and the whole APS Team
academy.virtual.community@gmail.com
(Note: A PDF of this announcement is attached. Please feel free to share with others you know with an interest in peer support workforce events and opportunities.)