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Wisconsin Peer Recovery Conference

"Recovery Outside the Box"

Thursday and Friday, August 1-2, 2019
Stoney Creek Hotel and Convention Center
La Crosse, WI



Pror to registering, we ask that you review the breakout session descriptions. To view descriptions, click on the dropdowns below. 

Thursday, August 1, 2019 - Morning Workshops

Morning Keynote from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

The Therapeutic Benefits of Humor for Peer SpecialistsMark Sanders, LCSW, CADA, Trainer/Consultant, On the Mark Consulting

In this presentation you will learn the many benefits of humor for peer specialists. Topics include: how humor can improve physical and mental health and reduce stigma and stress for persons seeking recovery, how humor can help with depression and grief, and how to use humor to increase rapport in the peer support relationship and increase organizational morale. This promises to be a fun learning experience.

Objectives:

1. Understand the benefits of humor.
2. Learn where to find humor to incorporate into your life and work.
3. Learn how humor can reduce the risk or burnout and compassion fatigue.

 

Workshops "1-5" from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Choose one from this series:

1​
When the Titanic Meets the Iceberg: Addressing the Trauma Beneath Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADA, Trainer/Consultant, On the Mark Consulting

In this presentation you will learn: the criteria for 5 varieties of traumatic stress disorders common among persons seeking recovery, including, acute stress disorder, PTSD, complex trauma, historical trauma, 24-7-365 terror; how to be a good advocate for persons seeking recovery with trauma histories; how to establish boundaries; how to avoid doing harm in the peer relationship; how to prevent secondary trauma.

Objectives:

1. Learn how to be a good advocate for persons seeking recovery the trauma histories.
2. Learn how to establish boundaries and how to avoid doing harm in the peer relationship.
3. Learn how to prevent secondary trauma.

2
Cultural Humility
Shawn Smith, Co-Founder, Alma Institute

One of the values of a trauma-informed approach is: Cultural, Historical and Gender Responsiveness. In this session we will experientially explore the 4 Principles of Cultural Humility and how they can be leveraged to create a safe space that expresses the honors of those we serve.

Objectives:
 
1. Identify the 4 Principles of Cultural Humility.
2. Learn the alignments of Cultural Humility, Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, and Reflective Supervision.
3. Identify the need and path to surface and resolve implicit bias.
 
3​
Chronic Pain in Recovery
Chris Hayden, Asian Bodywork Therapist, CPS

In this workshop, suitable for all peer supporters, we will discuss the basic neurology of pain (from a layperson's perspective), and how chronic pain develops in the nervous system. We will see that pain is never just "in your head", a phrase which can be damaging to the person living in pain. We will learn which factors (sense of safety, social connection, purpose) often help people overcome pain and go through resources which may be helpful to those in pain.

Objectives:
1.  Have a basic understanding of chronic pain.
2.  Learn how to best help people living in pain.
3.  Avoid subtle negative judgments about pain.
 
4​The Power of Relaxation: Be a Mirror of Self-Support
Tracy Chipman, MA, CYT, AYS
This experiential workshop offers the opportunity to explore relaxation as an essential self-care/support tool through the alternative and Trauma-Informed therapies of yoga, Ayurveda and meditation/mindfulness practices. We will explore our relationship with relaxation and rest, as well as learn and spend time moving into a state of relaxation with simple, doable self-care tools from these three modalities. Anyone who is interested in exploring and incorporating more relaxation in his or her life, regardless of experience, age or physical ability, is welcomed to join.
 
Objectives:
 
1. Experience a felt sense of relaxation through yoga, breath work and meditation.
2. Identify 2-3 yoga poses and 1-2 breathing exercises as self-care tools from the workshop.
3. Fell comfortable and confident sharing some the self-care tools from the workshop with those they support.
 
5Certified Peer Specialists in the Department of Corrections
Dr. Tracy Johnson, LCP
John Paquin, Administrator of the Department of Juvenile Corrections, Chairman of the CPS oversight committee

This session will provide an overview of the pilot peer mentoring program begun in the Department of Corrections 3 1/2 years ago and how this has evolved. We have conducted two Peer Specialists trainings in the Department of Corrections, and 32 inmates have been trained as Peer Specialists. We have seen great results with use of the Peer Specialists; their support, encouragement and sharing of lived experiences have been very valuable for their peers and the overall climate and prison culture. Many security staff who were initially reluctant have seen the benefits from the CPS program in the Dept. of Corrections. We can provide videos of CPS, peers, and staff as testimonials to the benefits of having a CPS program in the prison system. 

Objectives:

1. Learn the role of CPS in the Department of Corrections.
2. Understand the challenges of CPS in the Department of Corrections.
3. Learn the boundaries and self-care of a CPS within the Department of Corrections.

Thursday, August 1, 2019 - Afternoon Workshops 1

Workshops "6-10" from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Choose one from this series:

6​
Good Grief: Helping Persons Seeking Recovery Cope with Loss
Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADA, Trainer/Consultant, On the Mark Consulting

Topics covered in this presentation includes: stages of grief; losses persons seeking recovery grieve; factors which complicate grief; relapse prevention during times of loss; developing community during times of loss; the role of peer specialists in helping persons seeking recovery cope with loss.

Objectives:
1. Understand the stages of grief.
2. Learn relapse prevention during times of loss.
3. Learn the role of peer specialists in helping persons seeking recovery with loss.
 
7
Motivational Interviewing with Trauma-Informed Care (Part 1)
SESSION FULL
Shawn Smith, Co-Founder, Alma Institute

The Alma Institute has adapted Motivational Interviewing to serve as the healing-focused communication skills required to create safety and trust, empower, collaborate, and be compassionate. We frame Motivation Interviewing as a way of holding space to empower the served person to heal. This two-part session will experientially explore the alignments of Motivation Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care and Cultural Humility. Learn how Motivation Interviewing's evidence-based approach can be embraced to create safety for served persons who have experienced varying degrees of trauma and how Motivation Interviewing can be leveraged to learn about and honor a person's identity.

Objectives:

1. Identify Motivational Interviewing as a method of trauma informed communication with served persons.
2. Learn how to create safety and trust in the service relationship using Motivation Interviewing.
3. Partner with served persons to ground and explore approaches to achieve emotional and behavioral regulation.
 
8
Singing for Comfort and Healing
Liz Rog, Community Songleader

Across the country, common people (both those who've never sung before and those who've always loved to sing) are gathering in living rooms, hospitals, clinics, houses of worship, and parks to sing together for individuals in need of encouragement and healing. They sings songs of love, pain, joy, fear, longing, courage, grieving, remembering, celebrating, and belonging. The songs are simple and short, easy to learn and remember. Come learn about this community-based movement, learn songs, and hear stories about one group in a small Iowa town that's been carrying these songs into private and public spaces for 10 years.

Objectives:

1.  Understand the healing power of using voice and song in community.
2.  Take home tools for carrying group song into circles of healing.
3.  Learn compassion around our societal wounding around voice and song.
 
9Developing Self-Care by Living BIG (Boundaries-Integrity-Generosity): Based on the work of Dr. Brene Brown
Steve Spilde, Spiritual Director, CDWF

We can grow in our capacity for self-care by living BIG (Boundaries-Integrity-Generosity). In her book, "Rising Strong", Dr. Brene Brown clearly explains how we can transform our lives by viewing others and ourselves through a perspective of generous assumptions. Many people mistakenly fear that generous assumptions will encourage a continuation of unhealthy behaviors. Instead, Brown's research shows that generous assumptions are an important first step to setting healthy boundaries, being clear about what is okay and what is not okay. Steve Spilde will present Dr. Brown's research for those who seek healthier relationships and better self-care.

Objectives:

1. Identify the transformative power of making generous assumptions of themselves and others.
2. Address the self-talk that blocks generous assumptions of themselves and others.
3. Understand the tools provided to set healthy boundaries.
 
Get on My Nerves: How Peers Can Use the Nervous System to Aid in Recovery
Michael Sersch, Professional Counselor, Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor

This session will introduced some key aspects of the nervous system including the sympathetic nervous system's "fight, flight or freeze" as well as they parasympathetic nervous system's (PSNS) "rest and digest/feed and breed" response. Participants will be able to identify maladaptive ways people trigger PSNS responses including substance use and unhealthy relationships as well as some healthy techniques that peers can utilize, including a focus on the helping relationship, community engagement, mindfulness and spirituality as well as exercise.

Objectives:

1. Explain the role of the Sympathetic (SNS) and Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS).
2. Discuss how trauma, life stress, and mental health issues affect SNS and PSNS.
3. Identify healthy ways to increase the PSNS response in life and work.

Thursday, August 1, 2019 - Afternoon Workshops 2

Workshops "11-15" from 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Choose one from this series:

11​
Motivational Interviewing with Trauma-Informed Care (Part 2)
SESSION FULL
Shawn Smith, Co-Founder, Alma Institute


Please see Part 1 (session 7) for workshop description and objectives
 

12
Substance Use and Recovery: My Story and Yours
SESSION FULL
Susie Austin, Certified Peer Specialist and State Trainer, Interventionist, Wisconsin Community Services

The first part of this workshop is Susie Austin's story of addiction and recovery from methamphetamine. It also covers a parent perspective with a heroin addicted child.  This workshop is geared to participants who want to learn about substance use and recovery from a very personal lived experience perspective. Bring questions you always wanted to ask but did not feel comfortable.

The second part of this workshop is to learn how our stories can be told, what to say and when to say it.  One of the most powerful tools we have is our story.  This is how we support and help others.

Everyone has a story. 

Objectives:

1. Listen to a story of addiction to methamphetamine and learn how it is different from other drugs.
2. Discover and explore a parent's perspective on heroin addiction.
3. Learn how to tell your story.

 
13
What Does Advocacy Got to Do With It?
Karen Lane, MA, CPS, Advocacy Specialist

Peer Specialists may not realize that a major role of providing support includes advocacy. So how do peers go about supporting the advocacy goals of the peer without inserting one's own peer goals that are in keeping with the peer specialist role? This workshop will present the basics of the advocacy process in the context of providing peer support services. Peer supporters will gain basic skills in developing an advocacy plan with the peer in support and in keeping with the ethics of the peer specialist role. Peer supporters will also be provided with a simple advocacy tool to assist the peer in support with developing an advocacy plan.

Objectives:
1. Define the different types of advocacy.
2. Create collaborative advocacy plans.
3. Define the Ethics of Advocacy in the context of providing peer specialist services.
 
14An Overview of WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)
Tim Saubers, WI Peer Specialist Program Manager

This workshop is designed to educate attendees on WRAP. This will include a brief history of WRAP, including its initial development by Mary Ellen Copeland and information pertaining to the Copeland Center. The workshop will also include a general overview of WRAP that explains how a WRAP is structured, information about each section of the plan, and the values and ethics that make WRAP an effective and unique recovery tool. Information about WRAP facilitation and certification will also be discussed.

Objectives:

1. Describe the history of WRAP.
2. Summarize the structure of a WRAP.
3. List at least three values and ethics that are essential to the program.

Equine Assisted Therapy
Jill Charland, MS, EAGALA certified

This is for anyone interested in non-traditional therapy. In this session, we will explore what Equine Assisted Therapy is as well as the possible populations that could benefit from this therapy. This session will discuss who is qualified to practice this therapy and certifications needed to provide EAT. We will also explore the different evidenced based research highlighting EAT and how the non-traditional therapy is utilized throughout the world and the benefits that can be obtained through it. 

Objectives:

1. Describe what Equine Assisted Therapy.
2. Learn the benefits of Equine Assisted Therapy.
3. Learn who benefits from this services

Friday, August 2, 2019 - Morning Workshops

Morning Keynote from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Embracing Survirorship and Repairing Harm
Pardeep Singh Kaleka

The attack at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek in 2012 was the deadliest hate crime committed by an affiliated white-supremacist in nearly 50 years. As a survivor, Pardeep will describe the chaos of that Sunday morning and the communal healing that took place in the aftermath. With the rise of hate-crimes in the United States over past years, it has become even more important that we have develop prevention plans and coalitions to intervene and respond to the ever increasing threat of hate. 


 

Workshops "16-20" from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Choose one from this series:

16​
Culturally Agile Cultures
Parddep Singh Kaleka

Participants in this workshop are inspired to seek and value culture, which helps to build a foundation of curiosity that can ultimately lead to happiness and enrichment of the lived experience. We will discuss perceptual obstacles and biases that get in the way of genuine connection and what we can do to not only be a tolerant society but to create the skill of cultural agility to help us navigate our ever changing world. 


 
17
Providing Trauma-Informed Care to the Homeless and Mental Health Populations
Kristina Bechtel, Social Worker
This workshop is intended for any individuals who provide support to those experiencing homelessness and/or have a mental health diagnoses. Attendees will be provided with a general knowledge of trauma and its effects on the clientele we encounter every day. The workshop will also offer suggestions on how to incorporate trauma-informed care to promote a more successful response by the client and strengthen the potential for recovery. A combination of educational materials and the personal story of the presenter will be utilized.

Objectives:
 
1. Provide a basic knowledge of trauma and how if effects our clients.
2. Offer suggestions on how to incorporate trauma-informed care in person-focused careers.
3. Provide insight of how trauma-informed care should be utilized universally, not only with our clients.
 
18
Parent Peer Specialists and the WI Peer Specialist Employment Initiative
Tim Saubers, WI Peer Specialist Program Manager

This workshop is designed to educate attendees on Parent Peer Specialists (PPS) including their many roles, the certification process to become a PPS, how to effectively utilize PPS as part of a treatment team, and how service providers can best onboard a PPS. This workshop will also educate attendees on the WI Peer Specialist Employment Initiative, which oversees both Adult and Parent Peer Support throughout the state including organizing trainings, state certification, and the curriculum used for training. Information about the WI Peer Specialist Employment Initiative's 2019 projects and their status will also be discussed.

Objectives:
1. Learn the role of the a Parent Peer Specialist and how they can be utilized effectively as part of a treatment team.
2. Learn what the WI Peer Specialist Employment Initiative is and its role in Peer Support throughout the state.
3. Learn what the WI Peer Specialist Employment Initiative has been working on in 2019 including information about trainings held throughout the year, ongoing curriculum revisions, and WI CPS employment information.
 
19Ethics and Boundaries that Promote Recovery
Kristin Boland, MA, LPC, SAS

This workshop will provide a general overview of the main components of the Wisconsin Certified Peer Support Code of Ethics and the National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist Code of Ethics.

Objectives:
 
1. Learn how and where to access information regarding Peer Support Ethics and Boundaries.
2. Gain knowledge of Wisconsin Ethics and Boundaries for Certified Peer Support Specialists.
3. Develop comfort in discussing issues of ethics and boundaries in clinical supervision.
 
20
Creativity as a Healing Practice
Deb Hansen, Spirtual Director

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” and a picture invites those in need of healing to find words to express their experiences and emotions. Emotions can be buried and inaccessible to the world of words and thus cannot be spoken and shared. Images, colors, shapes, and textures go deep within, giving language to the inexpressible or forgotten. In this interactive workshop, we will: 1. Explore images that invite us into them and reflect on why they do: what needs and desires, memories and hopes find their expression through the images? 2. Engage in simple, accessible hands on creative activities that tell the stories of our selves; 3. Reflect on the creative process and the resulting creations: what came up within me as I worked? What do I discover about myself in my creation?

Objectives: 

1. Understand the power of images to name needs, desires, memories, and hopes.
2. Experience and learn simple, accessible practices of creativity
3. Experience and learn methods to reflect on the process of creativity and the created piece.

Friday, August 2, 2019 - Afternoon Workshops

Breakout Sessions "21-25" from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Choose one from this series:

21
AT 4 All! Assistive Technology for Wellness and Recovery
Chelsey Myhre-Foster, Independent Living Specialist, CPS
Nichole Hysel, Independent Living Specialist, CPS

In this interactive session, hear from two Certified Peer Specialists and Independent Living Specialists who have professional and lived experience implementing Assistive Technology (AT) into recovery practices. The goals of empowering individuals and promoting wellness can be supported by a variety of apps, devices, and equipment. Participants will be introduced to AT that could be used both personally for self-care and/or directly in a consumer relationship, through peer support and/or skills training. Participants will be given demonstrations of both high tech and low tech approaches to overcoming barriers associated with mental health and substance use, and will interact with AT through the use of smartphones and other devices. There will be a number of devices available for use during this session.

Objectives:

1. Understand how Assistive Technology is being implemented and how it has been proven effective for wellness and recovery.
2. Be introduced to Assistive Technology options and receive demonstrations of specific apps and equipment to promote wellness and recovery.
3. Learn where to access loan and demonstration programs available in Wisconsin to further explore options for Assistive Technology.

22
Mindful Yoga for Trauma
Jai McPheron, E-RYT, LMT

This workshop will guide participants through some mindful yogic skills to strengthen their ability to thrive beyond trauma. All are welcome ot this gentle and accessible workshop. We will touch on subjects of optimal breathing, mental focuses, and becoming a neutral observer of our thoughts. Additional mindful skills with simple yogic movements will also be taught.

Objectives:

1. Identify the minds state and redirect it as needed
2. Understand the importance of quality of breath to calm the nervous system
3. Gain skills to improve the fluidity of the body which will increase health

23
Somatic Movement: Pathways for Change
Mandy Herrick, Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist

The field of Somatics, specifically Somatic Movement Education and Therapy, aims to connect the vitality of one's inner self (emotional, mental, spiritual, and physiological) with the outside world. Participants will explore meditative mind/body techniques, methods for sharing tough and proprioception, developmental movement patterns, and playful approaches to find easy movement in the body. This workshop will allow each individual the opportunity for listening and understanding oneself through movement and touch thereby providing new embodied pathways for recovery and healing.

Objectives:

1. Learn hot touch and proprioception can restore emotional well-being.
2. Discover how Developmental Movement can assist in the recovery process.
3. Learn how conscious movement practices, alignment and breath techniques can enhance self-care and support healing.
 
24Let's Talk About Sex
Sara Honadel, Certified Peer Support Specialist, Independent Living Specialist
Britton Slowey, Licensed Health Educator, Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse

Come join Certified Peer Support Specialist, Sara Honadel and Licensed Health Educator, Britton Slowey for an interactive session on healthy relationships and boundaries. Our focus is prevention and protection of your emotional and sexual health and how to appropriately discuss and support youth and adult peers through their journey.

Objectives:

1. Describe healthy relationships and boundaries.
2. Learn how to support peers through these conversations.
3. Learn what resources and information is available for sexual health.
 
The Power of Peer Support Groups for Young Adults
Val Neff, Assistant Director, Iris Place
Ivy Evrard, Iris Place

This interactive workshop will focus on why peer support groups for young adults are necessary and will examine this necessity through the lens of the many issues that young adults can struggle with as they transition into adulthood.These issues can vary along the lines of feelings of loneliness as well as the inability to connect with or relate to others. We will transition into discussion about the support group we facilitate and brainstorm with attendees how they too can develop their own young adult support group.

Objectives:

1. Understand the mental health support needs of young adults living with mental illness.
2. Explore the differences between a typical support group for adults and a support group for transition age young adults.
3. Learn more about the benefits of support groups specifically for young adults.
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