What's the Certified Peer Specialist (CPS)?

My disappointment with the CPS program.

If you have been surfing around for new information on depression, 
you've probably run into this piece of news, the peer support specialist 
program. Peer Specialist is a new profession risen up within the field of 
mental health services. 

This comes about at a time when it is widely recognized that mental health
service providers are still a scarcity. As our society evolve into the 21st century
and care much more about how people feel as much as how much we care 
about how people think. This work force suppose to work as complementary to
other psychiatric professional. 

I came to this program with such high hopes that it'll be an enjoying training. 
Peer support by people with lived experiences would be a highly effective approach 
toward treatment for depression. Not only it smooths out the many barriers people feel about mental health services. The peer support specialist's primary task would create trust and understanding between psychiatric service providers and services recipients.  



But this Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) program disappointed me in major ways. Not only the instructors were not fully in touch with the class, the curriculum they designed and taught revolve around mental discrimination and the relating human rights issues.

Core values on recovery are then lectured in terms of fighting back for these rights and overcoming mental health prejudice. I left the training with a conclusion that I had come to the wrong place. It's not a training to help people work in healthcare, rather it is some kind of fighting back revolution.

Who are we fighting? As part of human race we continue to make discoveries and learn.
Scientists, psychologists, laid people or the very people who suffer with mental illness continue to learn. Remembering the time when I was ill and could hardly know where the problems were, I understand the general ignorance about mental health.

Therefore, I rather that we focus on new approaches that work, welcoming attitudes, healing concepts, and life skills related to recovery and peer support. 

Furthermore, training is supposed to transfer “hands-on” experience and personal concepts into real psychiatric services. 

"The role of peer specialist: “Peer Specialist” - provide information support, assistance and advocacy for recipients, and/orcaregivers/family members of 
consumers of mental health services." (Allen et al., 2010 (NASMHPD)

Nonetheless, getting certified makes it the more easier to be qualified 
for new positions open up at many health care institutions.
It is one thing to offer help and it is quite another to really provide help. It takes a deep understanding of core values in order to aid others with their recovery process.



Peer specialists' work rely on real recovery tools that are non-experimental. That is where the real value of lived experiences come in. Peer specialist support at any mental healthcare setting make possible the modeling of experience and recovery.

Recovery requires certain attitudes, beliefs and learning.
 And a recovered peer can easily show through modeling 
actions and behaviors. Through comfort, peer spirit, and
resourcefulness, peer specialists is a very effective recovery 
partner.

Whether it is mental crisis or continued care, employing 
the assistance of a peers specialist may help make resolutions 
come easier and the caring process go more smoothly. Not only it cut costs and shorten treatment goals, satisfactions is higher. 

Depression takes lives. It is time to reclaim the lives we still have. Think of this as a war against failing health. 

Currently, some sponsor organization are into making 
changes to the training to widen accessibility by different 
cultural groups, people who speak English as a second 
language, people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and 
young adults.

If you have any question regarding CPS training and 
related resources, you can leave your comments with 
contact email below.

  End Anxiety & Panic Attacks. Well-being And Self Help

*For HELP with suicidal crisis Call 1-800-273-8255
*For Immediate Medical Help Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room
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Updated 4/14/2013

Happy Springtime!

Where can I go for help?

An example of a meeting in peers support services

If you are seeking for information and support services on depression and related mental health conditions, please take note of the following resources.

For immediate assistance, it is recommended that you consult your physician about diagnosis, antidepressants, counseling, and other cognitive psychotherapies available 
to you.  


And check back to this site for more articles on depression recovery and ideas on pursuit of happiness. 


                       

This section includes a number of links to websites in your area and around the country. It can help put you in touch with self-help, advocacy, and support groups whose members share your issues and concerns.

                           

If you are unsure where to go for help, ask your family

doctor. Others who can help are:

• Health maintenance organizations (HMOs).
• Community mental health centers.
• Hospital psychiatry departments and outpatient clinics.
• Mental health programs at universities or medical schools.
• Peer support groups.
• Private clinics and facilities.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Local medical and/or psychiatric societies.
• Mental health specialists such as certified peers specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or mental health counselors.
• State hospital outpatient clinics.
• Family services, social agencies or clergy.

You can also check the phone book under “mental health,” “health,” “social services,” “hotlines,” or “physicians” for phone numbers and addresses. An emergency room doctor also can provide temporary help and can tell you where and how to get further help.

24 National

Recovery Inc. 802 North Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60610 
Tel: (312) 337-5661 This is a mental health self-help program based 
on the work of Chicago psychiatrist and neurologist Dr. Abraham W. Low. 
A pioneer in the development of the self-help movement, Dr. Low believed 
that psychiatric patients could take an active role in regaining and 
maintaining their mental health by learning to control their responses
to recurring symptoms. There are currently over

                           

Emotions Anonymous PO Box 4245, St. Paul, MN 55104-0245 (651) 647-9712 Emotions Anonymous is a 12-step organization similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. Participants meet weekly to work toward recovery from emotional difficulties. Diverse membership includes people of all ages, economic status, and social and educational backgrounds.

                              

*For HELP with suicidal crisis Call 1-800-273-8255
*For Immediate Medical Help Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room
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Sources:  Forest Laboratories

"Wisdom comes from within"

Severe Depression

How to overcome severe depression 

Are you confused by all the opinions around you about depression? There can be hundreds of unique opinions, but to safeguard your interest, do not give in to suggestions that say, "there is only one way." If you are ready for a better solution, open yourself up for new ideas.

Nowadays, there are many protests against conventional mental health care, such as how people are being institutionalized and drugged. And, some of these arguments do come from the truth. They originate from real life experiences of those who voice them.

After learning more from the peer support movements, I realize how so many sad stories that finally come out. Many people have been immobilized by the mental health system. But. Do not rush in to discredit what that system can still give us. 

To overcome severe depression takes some solid steps to achieve. You need all 5 fundamental venues:

1. Medical Care: Do not belittle routine medical care. Good mental health does depends on good physical health. In fact, a primary care physician did alert me to the presence of my mental health symptoms.
2. Medical  Advises: When symptoms are severe, you may need medication. So do not fight it. Be willing to take a doctor's advice to take a prescribed medicine. Do work closely with the doctor to keep you safe from harmful side effects and other issues.
3. Long Term Health Management: Depression stems from major emotional distress. If you can blame your life unfortunate events for your ailing mental health, know that it does take time to undue the damage. Thinking about long term care may discourage you, but you only think about the effort and forget the benefits that you will also enjoy long term.
4. Peer Support: Do seek support from people who care about you. And getting peers support make the journey all the more fun and comfortable.
5. Self Help: This is essential. Self help is the number one ingredient that help you become not only wiser but healthier.

How do I know about all this? 

Because I have been there and gone through that.Talking to other people, sufferers and therapists alike, not to mention outsider opinions you'll come into many viewpoints, some true and some far from it. Words are cheap, especially verbal ones, and in private conversations or anonymous forums. Once someone is committed to take the next level and document their views into written text, that is a different story.

Thousands of issues evolve from depression. But if you have not being able to have full a grip of your symptoms, you must take some big steps.

Look beyond yourself, you'll see your peers.

When we are depressed, we forego our every day health needs, prominently, our diet. We careless what to eat, go long periods without food, and indulge and ruin our internal systems through binge eating. That's what we do. So we gain the weight while neglecting what nutrients we really need to run our systems and fuel healthy brain function. And we often don't care.

Anxiety is one major issue with depression. I can say that anxiety can be the hidden ghost behind depression. By surprise, when my anxiety was tamed, my depression symptoms were miraculously got under controlled. At least, in my case, anxiety is the ghost behind the extremities of depression.

This may sound like a long haul. But it's not. This is part of any treatment plan you may use and it is a major part in your self help. Log back to my blogs and look for new posts on this subject.

Till then, enjoy your new discoveries. And feel free to drop me a note or two on anything you'd like to share.

Oh and, I'd like to advice you to first and foremost,"face the issue." 

A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ.  ~John Steinbeck

"Wisdom comes from within."

Coping with psychosis.

*For HELP with emotional crisis Call 1-800-273-8255 

*For Immediate Medical Help Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room 

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