Peer Specialists Promoting Community Re-integration for

People with Psychiatric Disabilities Returning Home from

Jail or Prison

Presented by

The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion for Individuals with

Psychiatric Disabilities

And

The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse

The Webinar Series November 2012 / Community Inclusion Programs in Peer-Run Mental

Health Services

January 2013 / The Roles of Peer Specialists in Rural Communities: Challenges and Models

March 2013 / The Roles of Peer Specialists in Promoting Competitive Employment

May 2013 / How Can Peer Specialists Promote Engagement in Religious Congregations?

July 2013 / Peer Specialists Promoting Community Re-integration for People with Psychiatric Disabilities Returning Home from Jail or Prison

Our Presenters

Richard Baron, MA / Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities

James P. Kimmel, Jr., J.D., Esq. / Peerstar LLC

LaVerne D. Miller, Esq. / Policy Research Associates, Inc.

Lori Schultz / Peerstar LLC

IntroductionImproving awareness

and responsiveness to the special needs of this group

Establishing appropriate language

The Facts

•Between 300,000 and 400,000 people with serious mental illnesses are incarcerated in local jails and state prisons

•Approximately 500,000 on parole or probation are living in the community

•National Leadership Forum on Behavioral Health/Criminal Justice Services, 2009

Our Collective Challenge

•Increase the availability of recovery support services to justice-involved consumers

•Increase the capacity of Peer Specialists to effectively provide recovery support services to justice-involved consumers

•Increase the capacity of consumer organizations to engage and support the recovery of justice-involved consumers in the community

Traditional Focus of Re-entry Programs•Public Safety•Compliance•Medication/Treatment Management•Recidivism

Viewing Re-entry Through Another Prism

•Many individuals in programs will need support in “entering” and becoming active in all aspects of community life including wellness, employment and family.

• Individuals want and need support around coming to terms with losses and successfully grieving these losses.

•Applicability of recovery support services such as Supported Employment, Person-Centered Planning and WRAP

SAMHSA’s Four Dimensions of Recovery•Health•Home•Purpose•Community

Most Commonly Self-Reported Causes of Relapse

• Loss of hope• Grief over losses• Problems with family reunification• Lack of “community”• Lack of crisis planning• Absence of role models• Low expectations• Lack of meaningful activity• Financial matters (credit, student loans and child

support)• Undisclosed criminal/civil matters

Some Emerging Roles for Peer SpecialistsAdvisory and leadership roles in planning

and implementing programsWellness CoachingOutreach, Education and PreventionHomeless OutreachCrisis InterventionBridgerService CoordinationDischarge PlanningWRAP Facilitators

Settings

•Jails•Prisons•Forensic Units in State and Municipal

Hospitals•Courts•Provider Agencies•Peer-Operated Organizations

Preparing Peer Specialists to Work Effectively with Justice-Involved Consumers

•Stigma on the part of other consumers•Culture of Incarceration/Impact on Help

Seeking/Disclosure•Understanding of local and state criminal

justice system•Impact and prevalence of trauma•Direct and collateral consequences of

involvement in the criminal justice system•Criminal justice partnership

Different Approaches to Training Peer Workforce•Integration of additional training modules

in existing training programs•Specialized training programs, e.g.,

Forensic Peer Specialist Training Program•Continuing Education

Barriers

• Employment policies and practices are frequently not aligned with values of recovery and rehabilitation

•Some policies and practices while facially neutral have a disparate impact on the hiring of peers with criminal records or the access to peer to specific settings or places

Examples of Some Potential Restrictions•Government agency restrictions on hiring

staff with criminal convictions, e.g., felony or violent crime

•Access to correctional facilities by “convicted felons” or restrictions on working or visiting facilities where peer served time

•Conditions of parole, probation or other types of community supervision

Map of New York State Process• NYS Office of Mental Health has created a

parallel clearance process for justice-involved peers who are being hired BECAUSE OF their criminal justice history.

Applicants go through the same clearance process as all employees

Applicant and employer are notified of decisionApplicant is sent letter requesting supporting evidence

of “rehabilitation” and has 10 days to provide evidence of rehabilitation

Employer must also provide rationale for hiring justice-involved peer

Resources

SAMHSA GAINS Center for Behavioral Health Justice Transformation

gainscenter.samhsa.gov

New Approaches

• Research Citations

• Miracle Court

• Non-Justice System Handout

http://www.mhselfhelp.org/roles-of-peer-specialists-webi/

Realities of working with previously incarcerated individuals:

Initially they will buck the system

They will be dishonest

They will cancel appointments

They may relapse

They may go back to jail

Realities of working with previously incarcerated individuals:

As FPS/CPS we need to remember we are not judge and jury. Our peers will make mistakes; it is how they handle themselves afterwards that is most important.

Points of intercept with individuals who have a criminal history

Importance of collaboration with agencies: Probation, Judges, Children and Youth, Cost and Fines

The Roles of Peer Specialists

Our roles in crisis support

Our roles in development of community roles/natural supports

Our roles in Individual Advocacy

Our roles in Self-Help /Self-improvement

Roles in wellness/recovery

Roles in social networking

How we can help them remain out of jail

Question & Answer

ResourcesVisit the Clearinghouse website

http://www.mhselfhelp.org/roles-of-peer-specialists-webi/ for:

Background materials

A recording of today’s webinar

Further information for Peer Specialists