Dedicated to my sister in recovery, Naomi… I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried
The things I go through just to get high I have a disease that tells me I’m okay
I don’t need help
I’m the boss of me
Stranger than Fiction (poem)
January 26, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Murder One (Poem)
January 25, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Dedicated to my sister in recovery, Jay… About face my representative
Don’t try my murder one
Here Comes The Devil (Lyrics)
December 31, 2020 by Leave a Comment
I can’t remember
When I was young
When I was happy
When I was whole
I lost my memory
In frivolous songs
In thoughtless fantasies
In mindless causes
Peer Support: The Three “E’s” and Four “R’s” of TIC
December 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Trauma-informed care requires for staff at all levels of trauma-informed services to recognize the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledge the role that trauma plays in the lives of survivors. “SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach,” has coined two mnemonic devices as part of a framework to aid in administering trauma informed care.
Do’s and Don’ts of Peer Support
December 29, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Peer supporters serve to guide their peers toward the many pathways to recovery. They do not endorse any specific way of achieving or maintaining sobriety, abstinence, or serenity or of reducing the negative effects from substance use disorders. Since peer supporters are non-clinical staff who often work in a clinical setting, peer support remains as an ambiguous role for many service providers. Understanding the characteristics of peer support is imperative so that the unique value of peer support is not squandered by providers who view peer supporters as case managers.
What is Peer Support?
December 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Having a peer supporter on your team is like having a partner in recovery who is there to validate your experience and walk with you through the dross of institutionalized oppression and misconception. The main thing that sets peer workers apart from the medical treatment team is that peer workers uphold the basic understanding that each person is the expert in their own lives and should thus be in charge of their own recovery. The peer supporter’s role is to assist people with finding and following their own recovery paths, without judgment, expectation, rules, or requirements.
Peer Support: What is Trauma Informed Care?
December 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Trauma informed care is centered on the basic understanding that most people who seek mental health and addiction services have experienced some form of trauma in their lives. The trauma informed approach attempts to eliminate retraumatization in the healthcare settings by implementing a culture of trauma awareness across all levels of the clinical and organizational structure.
Peer Support: Principles of Trauma Informed Care
December 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment
One of SAMHSA’s 10 Guiding Principles of Recovery is that “recovery is supported by addressing trauma.” Trauma informed care is thus an intrinsic aspect of peer support. Understanding a person’s situation, both past and present, is critical for providing trauma informed supports. A peer worker’s ability to share lived experience and validate peer feelings, perceptions and experiences is often more of a healing process for people in recovery than the rigid and controlling therapy programs that are thrust upon people seeking help.
Intentional Peer Support: Space in Relationships
December 26, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Providing a safe space in the peer relationship is a refreshing approach toward connecting with another person. Rather than thinking about what you want to say, or trying to read another person’s thoughts, IPS encourages us to think of the relational space between peers as an active, alive space where two people make an effort to listen and respond to each other in a meaningful way.
Running on Empty (Poem)
December 7, 2020 by Leave a Comment
I need time to think without being forced to think
I need time to recharge my mind I need time to think about myself for while
Not my selfish self
The one who makes the Earth smile
