1. Pare your material down to the essentials. Learning online is exhausting in itself. People are being bombarded with information—so structure the material thoughtfully and help people see what the important stuff is. That goes for visuals too—include great graphics only if they support the content. Try to reduce, rather than increase, the cognitive demands of your material.
2. Keep it real. People want to know how to apply what they are learning in the real world. Give them a chance to wrestle with interesting and challenging situations, so they get some practice in applying ideas. When you give assignments, explain why—what will the participant get out of it?
3. Encourage interaction. Design group projects and use breakout rooms for discussions. Encourage people to keep the video on—it gives a better sense of human connection. If they have it off, ask them to explain why—this helps the others who feel uneasy about who might be listening in. People learn as much from each other as from the instructor.
4. Choose a predictable schedule. Hold the training at the same time and day each week, for example, so people don’t have to scramble through their calendar for each training. You will probably need at least as many instructional hours as you needed in person. In fact make everything predictable—use a structured schedule, and format all the material the same way so people don’t have to figure out what you are doing—they can spend their time learning the new material.
5. Use live videoconferencing rather than taped lectures. Keep the class size small. Limit it to the number of people you can see on the screen at the same time.
6. Offer several ways for people to review. To accommodate different learning styles, make the material available in printed format. Tape some videos to illuminate key points or tell interesting stories. Use quizzes which can be taken an unlimited number of times to repeat the information. Whatever materials you create, test them on multiple devices, as people are likely to be using various technology (phones, tablets, computers…)
7. Some people ask for recordings so they can review—but that might make others uncomfortable if people are going to be talking about their lived experience. Ask everyone before you make a decision on this.

If non-peer support professionals (e.g., psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists) with mental illnesses are not accepted in the behavioral health workforce then peer specialists will not be either.

I am bothered by the many stories of discrimination towards mental health professionals with mental illnesses that I hear about and ask myself, “If we are prejudiced toward colleagues with mental illnesses, what does that mean about how we work with clients/consumers/patients?”

We have tried to draw attention to this HUGE issue. My friend and colleague, Petra Kottsieper, has been one of my teachers on this topic, and I encourage you all to watch a great presentation she and other Drexel University psychology graduates did recently on this issue in memory of a colleague https://1513041.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/1_dh7aet74.

The events resulting in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis are a shocking reminder of the long history of mistreatment of African Americans, often at the hands of police, in the United States. The continuing pattern of unlawful deaths of black men and women in police custody plague our country and reveal how hollow our claims to justice and equality remain for so many.

Widespread evidence of abusive comments and actions toward Asians generated by the Covid-19 crisis also makes clear that a society where people are judged by the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin continues to remain a dream rather than a reality. It is especially important to recognize the injury and injustice suffered by people of color during these times and to do what we can to make our country more equitable, safe and fair.

All of us need to stand up and speak out to end racism. SHARE! is committed to being part of the solution.” – SHARE!

Two words to describe it, for me, were inspired and customized. Some folks attended from where we are located, in Los Angeles. Others came from Australia, Sweden, Ireland, etc. Overall, what I witnessed is people being grateful to groups, recovery, connection and people hungry for healing that they may not have had access to in their own location. Over the course of three days on Zoom, there were 320 people who participated in more than 30 meetings which is pretty amazing in itself.

I learned something from every single meeting that I didn’t know before, every single one. However, the program that I would like to comment on specifically is Dual Diagnosis Anonymous. I had pre-conceived notions on what this fellowship “meant” – I guess I thought “Dual Diagnosis” meant that you had to have been “officially diagnosed” with two separate mental health issues. However, by reading/listening/sharing I realized that even if you are in one other 12 step program and if you have say, anxiety, you qualify. Some members expressed that they often feel unsafe sharing in more traditional meetings about these “outside issues”, but nothing seemed to be out of bounds in this room.

It was beautiful to watch members all throughout the world sharing their struggles because they don’t feel like they are taken seriously for having other mental health challenges in addition to their addiction. I always thought “if only I grew up somewhere exotic, I wouldn’t have any problems”, but to see people who live in those locations and they have the same feelings I have was incredibly powerful.

Something happens when you get to share together, in Zoom or in person, where you get to witness the pain that exists on your insides and you find words to put to that pain that maybe you have never even said out loud before. Then, to look around and see others nodding their heads with recognition because they too, were there, or are there right now is incredibly validating and transformative. It is also a great privilege.

I felt honored to get to partake in my own and in others’ recovery journeys. One thing was undeniable, people were seen, people were heard, people learned, people healed, people grieved, and I can say that myself because I was one of them.

–Nicole M.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FLYER!

SHARE! Advanced Peer Specialist Training is a free training for people who are or would like to be peers in the mental health system. It consists of three consecutive courses:

Come to an Open House on January 11, 2018 at 1 pm at SHARE! Culver City. Find out more about the job opportunities, dates and requirements of the training program.

SHARE! Culver City Home-Style Thanksgiving