Essay Questions for Peer Support Specialist Application

Hello Everyone!

The Depression Bipolar Support Alliance is offering a "Peer Support Specialist" class in Lombard Illinois this summer.  In order to get into the selection process I had to fill out an application that included several essay-type questions.  I thought I would post the questions and answers, they offer some further insite into my history, my treatment and my hopes....

2010 DBSA PEER SPECIALIST TRAINING APPLICATION

1. A) Why do you want to become a peer specialist?
I would like to become a peer specialist in order to become better equipped in conducting my DBSA support groups in Kingwood, WV and Morgantown, WV. I also feel that becoming a peer specialist would offer me more insight in assisting others with their mental health needs, helping me provide valuable tools that could aid in their recovery, and provide me with critical information when dealing with the person(s) suffering as well as their friends and family.
B) What makes you a good candidate to work with other consumers in the mental health field?
I am 45 years old and for the bulk of my life I have suffered and struggled with mental illness. I have been misdiagnosed, taken many medications that did and didn’t work and struggled through their various side effects, I have personally seen how Bipolar and Depression can affect not only the patient but also their relationships with their spouse, family, children, their work life and social life. I have been hospitalized a total of 6 times in mental health hospitals, some private and some state-run. About 2 years ago I had the worst bipolar episode I have ever had which resulted in a suicide attempt, hospitalization, intense group therapy, individual psychotherapy, and, ultimately, I agreed to try Electro Convulsive Therapy, which has worked incredibly well for my particular situation. I’ve also had a great deal of experience with dealing with the inner workings of medical insurance with regard to mental health coverage, and have successfully gotten that coverage expanded for my own mental healthcare needs. I believe this background does make me a good candidate to work with other consumers in the mental health field, as, in my opinion, there is no better experience than personal experience. That personal experience also helps the consumer relate to, and trust the provider. I know first-hand you cannot “snap out of mental health issues” or “shake off mental illness”…it takes work, support and persistence to make strides towards recovery.
2. A) What does recovery mean to you?
To me, recovery means understanding your mental illness and the treatment options that are currently available, realizing you have to power to control and minimize some, if not all, of the symptoms, maintaining your medical and mental health treatment, and working closely and honestly with your providers and those that are supportive. It also means working towards getting past the stigma of being diagnosed with a mental illness, “owning” it and learning to work with it, not against it. Recovery also means finding and utilizing different support mechanisms. To me, that is a critical part of recovery, as that will help maintain the recovery. Hopefully, recovery would eventually mean accepting your illness and understanding that while care is necessary, it doesn’t “define” the person who has been diagnosed. Bipolar and depression are manageable; knowing and understanding that is a large part of the recovery process.
B) What were/are important factors in your own recovery?
There are many factors that are so important in my own recovery. My family’s support and understanding, their willingness to attend doctor’s appointments and therapy with me; my husband’s unwavering support; not giving up on finding the proper treatment that works specifically for me and my needs and body; finding a psychiatrist and psychotherapist that work for me and my personality – doctors that I’m comfortable with and whom I trust implicitly. Taking my medications on time, keeping my ECT appointments which are currently once per months, being honest about how I’m feeling with my doctors and family, keeping stressors to a minimum, as I know they are triggers for my bipolar disorder, and conducting my own DBSA support groups has also been extremely instrumental in my recovery. Having been through so much, it’s very helpful to me to use that information to help others.
C) What types of experiences have you had in assisting, or advocating for, consumers of mental health services (for example, support group leadership, self-advocacy, public testimony, programs you started, etc.)? Please be specific.
While hospitalized I interacted closely with several patients in my group settings; I have spoken out publically on as many occasions as possible – never shying away from talking about my own personal experience and trying to reduce the stigma afflicting those suffering with mental illness; I have started two support groups through the DBSA which are going very well, one is in a smaller town, Kingwood WV, and the other is in a more metropolitan area, Morgantown, WV. I hope to begin speaking at high schools next year about mental health awareness in an effort to reduce the stigma and begin tackling how mental illness is perceived at an earlier age so it doesn’t manifest itself as the children grow into adulthood. There is power in knowledge in my opinion. I have given public testimony in my church and at my supports groups. I’m also considering working towards taking one of my dogs to therapy school in the hopes of visiting the local mental health facilities in this area. I remember working with a therapy dog at Chestnut Ridge in Morgantown WV, and it was incredible…dogs don’t judge, or care if you’re bipolar or depressed, they just love unconditionally.
3. A) Do you currently hold a position where you will use the skills gained through Peer Specialist training and certification? I am currently a member of the Red Cross and have started two DBSA support groups. I would hope to use the skills gained to assist those in my groups as well as aid in helping those going through disasters and/or the emergency/aid personnel assisting with disaster relief. I do not receive pay for these positions.
B) Are you a current candidate for a position where you will use the skills gained through Peer Specialist training and certification? No, I am not currently a candidate for a position where I would use the skills gained through Peer Specialist training and certification.
See attached Application.
Thank you,
Shawn Rhenae Graham