Wellness, financial wellness, there's um physical wellness, social wellness, spiritual wellness, and occupational wellness.

And as peers, we use this as a tool to help others to make goals and to achieve balance in their recovery from mental health or substance use disorders.

So it's so it's basically eight things that you know somebody can look at individually and focus on maybe in their life to see am I okay in this area or not?

Yes, yes, and we strive for balance, um, not perfection, just balance between these eight uh dimensions because they're connected.

Uh each one seems to affect the other.

Now, how are peer recovery specialists utilized at CIBH?

Well, we have Steve and he runs one-on-one and uh groups uh that are recovery focus focused with folks, and he does wellness recovery action plan groups, he does groups for NAMI connections, which is fantastic.

What is that?

That's National Alliance for Mental Mental Illness.

Okay, and they have a group called Connections, which is for peers, and um, you know, persons going through uh mental health and or substance use challenges.

He works with the men's uh anger management group, and he's been so supportive.

I've been the new one, and he's just been fantastic in you too, Control.

Thank you.

Yeah, and Control works very very hard with uh peers going through drug court using her lived experience, and um she does moral cone therapy.

She is now you know you have to tell me what that is.

Maybe she's better at kind of describing well moral recognition therapy, it's a type of cognitive behavioral therapy in which it tries to restructure the thinking about um you know where you are and how you get there to improve your moral um your moral reasoning.

Okay, and um she uh also does I think some survey work that plays into funding, which is important for her job, CIBH.

And me, I work for emergency services, and I uh assist folks that are coming in there largely in crisis and just kind of helping them, um giving them a hand.

It's non-clinical, but I work integral with the other clinicians in emergency services, and they've been very, very supportive.

That's great and wonderful, and I'm continue to learn every day from Rajab.

So, why are we celebrating?

Is it Global Peer Supporters Celebration Day?

Yes.

What is that?

Tell us about it.

Uh we're celebrating it.

Um it it occurs on the third Thursday of every October, and we're celebrating it really for two reasons.

One is that you know, we can celebrate our own recovery, the recovery of peers around the world, and and see all the the gains we have made in coming forward in our own recovery, and also as a service that is supporting others.

Um peer recovery services is still a fairly new uh phenomenon and is one that is growing by leaps and bounds every year, and here especially in the state of Virginia.

Uh, and it's also that we might show what peer recovery services is to the community around us, uh, that there are people that do have lived experience that can come alongside and support in a in a very strengths-based, non-judgmental, uh, non-directive way to support others in in finding their recovery path.

And I would think that would be very important for someone to know that you know, they may have other support, of course, but to have someone who has lived that experience and who successfully, you know, is is living a successful life, that there's that hope that they can do that too.

Yes, yes, it is.

So, talk a little bit more about the event.

It's at the Chesapeake uh Central Library, I believe it is.

Yes, yes.

So our theme for Global Peer Support Celebration Day is lights, camera, action, peer supporters in motion.

So there will be a feature film starring the three of us.

Okay.

We're gonna have stigma busting activities.

We'll have concessions, free prizes.

Uh it's gonna be a fun family event.

It's open to the public.

And we want everyone to come out and um help us celebrate peer supporters and the great work that we do in the community and um come out and help us celebrate.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Now, where can someone go to find more information out if they have an interest in being a peer supporter or just to find out what you guys do?

There are several different ways to do that.

One way would be to contact us if they would like to do that at CIBH, just ask for Steve Controller Christine, and we'd be happy to share with them.

Also, they can email the Office of Recovery Services, and that is at Ask O R S at DBHDS.gov.

There's also a wonderful website called the Peer Recovery Specialist Network.

And I believe that's displaying on your screen, and there is a tab there with getting started.

And if they click that, it will walk them in a very intentional way through the entire process.

Okay, great.

It sounds it sounds like a wonderful program, and I want to thank you all for joining me today and also for what you do.

I appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Thanks for having us.

And thank you for joining us today on a closer look, and we'll see you next time.

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