June 2026 CPS & CPPS Supervisor Community of Practice
Karen Iverson Riggers is a writer, activist, advocate, trainer, and Mom. She is a lead trainer of Emotional CPR for the State of Wisconsin and co-creator of Listening to Trauma curriculum. She is a founding member of Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative, a Wisconsin worker owned cooperative. She utilizes her lived experience in the mental health system to advocate for change and create community spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued, just as they are.
Lynn McLaughlin is an entrepreneur, author, peer, trainer, and consultant. Her lived experience, education, and training make her an exceptional leader, consultant and trainer. Lynn has a vibrant passion for life and deep empathy for the stories of others, which shows up in all facets of her work. She is a founding member of Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative, a Wisconsin worker-owned cooperative, and is a lead trainer of Emotional CPR for the State of Wisconsin. Lynn is a co-creator of the Community Living Room – a non-clinical, person-centered environment for people seeking social connection and emotional support.
Feedback Survey/CEH Information:
We invite you to please fill out the evaluation survey link (click here) if you attended this community of practice gathering or if you watch the recording. The survey will close at 4:30pm on Thursday, July 9th, 2026. Certificates of Participation will be sent to those completing the evaluation form by 4:30pm on July 16th, 2026. No evaluation surveys will be accepted for CEH credit after the evaluation survey’s closing date/time.
This website is managed and maintained by staff at Access to Independence working on the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative. The words, views, and values presented herein are not necessarily representative of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
April 2026 CPS & CPPS Supervisor Community of Practice
Lisa Marie Brodsky Auter (she/her) has been a peer support specialist and group facilitator for over 6 years and is currently building a peer program at her current mental health organization. Lisa Marie offers this CoP topic from her own experiences of wanting to die, losing her husband to suicide, and supporting others who feel suicidal as a peer support specialist. A published poet and credentialed Poetry Therapy Practitioner, she is the founder of “Hiraethlon Creativity + Wellness” (www.hiraethlon.com) and resides in Madison, WI with her partner and cat, Shiloh.
In this SupCoP, we will consider a topic that is rarely discussed: What happens when a peer support specialist is asked to support someone who feels suicidal while also carrying their own lived experience of suicide loss and/or thoughts about suicide? This session explores how peer support specialists can hold multiple identities—supporter, survivor, and person with past/current suicidal thoughts—while holding awareness and insight for themselves. Focus will be given to how we can support ourselves as peer support specialists and also as humans who have felt similar anguish and desperation.
Feedback Survey/CEH Information:
We invite you to please fill out the evaluation survey link (click here) if you attended this community of practice gathering or if you watch the recording. The survey will close at 4:30pm on Thursday, May 7th, 2026. Certificates of Participation will be sent to those completing the evaluation form by 4:30pm on May 14th, 2026. No evaluation surveys will be accepted for CEH credit after the evaluation survey’s closing date/time.
This website is managed and maintained by staff at Access to Independence working on the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative. The words, views, and values presented herein are not necessarily representative of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
February 2026 CPS & CPPS Supervisor Community of Practice
Michael King is a leadership trainer and coach, the Director and Creator of The Communities Project, and the Managing Principal of Impact Leadership Training & Coaching, LLC. He spent over a decade in the political arena, working on Presidential, Gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, and local campaigns, from county to state legislative efforts. He is a past Campaign Director, Field Director, Communications Director for the Washington State Democratic Party, and the former Executive Director of the Washington State Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.
The former National Director of Outreach & Engagement for Facing Addiction with NCADD, Michael is also a co-founder of a Washington state-based not-for-profit organization that empowers young people to engage in the political process. He is an alumnus of JustLeadershipUSA’s Leading with Conviction program and a graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Institute’s online Art of Leadership program.
Join us in this Part 2 in leading communities deep in the depths of substance use and behavioral health, trauma is so often an ongoing component in the dynamic. It is critical for leaders in these worlds to come to terms with trauma and lead from a place of responsibility:
Feedback Survey/CEH Information:
We invite you to please fill out the evaluation survey link (click here) if you attended this community of practice gathering or if you watch the recording. The survey will close at 4:30pm on Thursday, March 12th, 2026. Certificates of Participation will be sent to those completing the evaluation form by 4:30pm on March 19th, 2026. No evaluation surveys will be accepted for CEH credit after the evaluation survey’s closing date/time.
This website is managed and maintained by staff at Access to Independence working on the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative. The words, views, and values presented herein are not necessarily representative of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
January 2026 CPS & CPPS Supervisor Community of Practice
Michael King is a leadership trainer and coach, the Director and Creator of The Communities Project, and the Managing Principal of Impact Leadership Training & Coaching, LLC. He spent over a decade in the political arena, working on Presidential, Gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, and local campaigns, from county to state legislative efforts. He is a past Campaign Director, Field Director, Communications Director for the Washington State Democratic Party, and the former Executive Director of the Washington State Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.
The former National Director of Outreach & Engagement for Facing Addiction with NCADD, Michael is also a co-founder of a Washington state-based not-for-profit organization that empowers young people to engage in the political process. He is an alumnus of JustLeadershipUSA’s Leading with Conviction program and a graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Institute’s online Art of Leadership program.
In leading communities deep in the depths of substance use and behavioral health, trauma is so often an ongoing component in the dynamic. It is critical for leaders in the these worlds to come to terms with trauma and lead from a place of responsibility:
Feedback Survey/CEH Information:
We invite you to please fill out the evaluation survey link (click here) if you attended this community of practice gathering or if you watch the recording. The survey will close at 4:30pm on Thursday, February 12th, 2026. Certificates of Participation will be sent to those completing the evaluation form by 4:30pm on February 19th, 2026. No evaluation surveys will be accepted for CEH credit after the evaluation survey’s closing date/time.
This website is managed and maintained by staff at Access to Independence working on the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative. The words, views, and values presented herein are not necessarily representative of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
September 2025 CPS & CPPS Supervisor Community of Practice
Recovery is not just a profession for me—it’s a guiding principle that shapes every aspect of my work. I am an accomplished peer specialist and training facilitator with more than 15 years of experience driving initiatives in advocacy, program development, and social services. Throughout my career, I have partnered with individuals navigating complex challenges, including substance use, mental health concerns, housing instability, and major life transitions, supporting them while they build stability, resilience, and renewed purpose.
Recognized for my ability to lead with clarity and compassion, I have successfully directed large-scale community initiatives, including a multi-year recovery and addiction awareness event that saw exponential growth in participation and visibility under my leadership. My professional credentials include a bachelor’s degree, certification as a peer specialist, peer specialist training facilitator, and opiate impacted family support specialist. I have held key roles across diverse service settings—from shelters and crisis services to targeted case management—consistently building systems and strategies that enhance service quality and reach.
I believe that every person holds the potential to build a life of meaning, and that our greatest work is to create pathways where that potential can flourish. For me, leadership is not about titles—it’s about building systems that empower, relationships that uplift, and opportunities that transform challenges into victories. My commitment is to ensure that the work I do continues to open doors, inspire hope, and strengthen the belief that no future is beyond reach.
Power is everywhere — shaping relationships, organizations, and systems. But often it operates through unspoken or shadow rules that can be hard to see, name, or navigate. This 90-minute interactive presentation for peer specialists will motivate participants to think more about power and how it shows up in our work.
Participants will:
• Examine different types of power — personal, positional, relational, resource, and systemic.
• Reflect on the unspoken and shadow rules of power.
• Explore real-world scenarios and practice identifying ethical uses of power.
• Leave with strategies to notice, name, and shift power dynamics in ways that support both staff and those we serve.
This session blends reflection, discussion, and applied practice, giving peer specialist supervisors tools to better navigate the complex realities of power in their role.
Feedback Survey/CEH Information:
We invite you to please fill out the evaluation survey link (click here) if you attended this community of practice gathering or if you watch the recording. The survey will close at 4:30pm on Thursday, October 9th. Certificates of Participation will be sent to those completing the evaluation form by 4:30pm on October 16th, 2025. No evaluation surveys will be accepted for CEH credit after the evaluation survey’s closing date/time.
This website is managed and maintained by staff at Access to Independence working on the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative. The words, views, and values presented herein are not necessarily representative of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
