For folks who work with their hearts and support others, compassion fatigue and burnout are very real and very common side effects of witnessing trauma and holding space for grief and loss. There’s often not a lot of support for those who are supporting others. Often, we are told to engage in self-care or “go away and come back when you are ‘better.”
We will explore the power of healing in relationship and community care vs. self-care (individual). Becoming aware of the emotional component of compassion fatigue and burnout will also be presented to allow participants time for self-reflection and a deepened relationship with one’s own emotional wellness. Join us to explore practices and ideas for better connecting with ourselves to deepen our connections with others.
Karen Iverson Riggers
Karen Iverson Riggers is a writer, entrepreneur, activist, advocate, trainer, and Mom. She is a trainer of Emotional CPR and Emotions Education 101 and co-creator of “The Missing Piece: Emotions & Wellness” and “Listening to Trauma” curricula. She is a founding worker/owner of Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative, a Wisconsin based worker owned cooperative that provides training, consultation, and listening spaces related to emotional health and wellness. Along with Lynn McLaughlin, she launched the Real Vibes Only podcast in 2022 which talks about real life and emotions. She utilizes her own 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. Karen lives in Appleton with her partner Eric and their three children Nick, Quinn, and Ari.
Lynn McLaughlin
Lynn McLaughlin is an entrepreneur, peer, trainer, advocate, and Mom. Her lived experience, education and training has created a deep empathy for human challenges and a commitment to provide hope to others at every opportunity. Lynn is a trainer of Emotional CPR and Emotions Education 101 and co-creator of “The Missing Piece: Emotions & Wellness” and “Listening to Trauma” curricula. She is passionate about creating non-clinical community spaces that enhance social connection and combat social isolation and loneliness in communities. Lynn is a founding worker/owner of Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative, a Wisconsin based worker owned cooperative that provides training, consultation, and listening spaces related to emotional health and wellness. Along with Karen Iverson Riggers, Lynn launched a weekly podcast in 2022 called “Real Vibes Only” which shares authentically on real life and emotions. Lynn received her BA in Communications from Marian University. She is mom to her adult daughter Emma who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Lynn lives in Neenah with her two pups—Lennon and Esther.
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1. I am a Certified Peer Specialist or Certified Parent Peer Specialist in Wisconsin.
2. I want to engage in a supportive, collaborative learning-based Community of Practice with other CPS and CPPS in Wisconsin.
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In this first part series focusing on peer supervision, we will be peeling back the layers of depth as to what occurs on peer-led teams. Participants will hear about overcoming supervision challenges in peer-led groups with discussions around community grief, personal grief, fostering individual wellness journeys, burnout, self-care, staff retention, and additional impactful trainings pertinent to the peer-led teams’ specific work. We will discuss how we keep the fidelity of peer work through conversations in supervision when addressing issues or concerns.
Tanya Kraege
Tanya Kraege is the Drug Poisoning Prevention Team Manager at Safe Communities MDC. She works alongside people experiencing substance use challenges, birthing folx using substances during pregnancy, trauma, relationships, formerly incarcerated, and mental health experiences. Tanya has been a part of mental health and substance use work for 14 years. Currently, she oversees programs that use Recovery Coaches and Certified Peer Specialists who work in various environments in Dane County, Rock County and Jefferson County in Wisconsin to support people with substance use, and mental health experiences and their loved ones. Over the past few years in this role, Tanya has secured grant funding to design and implement a Salesforce-based recovery practice management solution that has increased productivity by 40% in peer provider management and has given the flexibility to serve over 1600 people in her community. Tanya also works around the Country regarding anti-stigma work and peer provider programs. Tanya played a role in the Health Care Task Force on Safe Opioid Prescribing by participating in the academic detailing program for working with clinicians on co-prescribing Naloxone with opioid prescription medications, in addition to being a Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor, and community advocate. Tanya is also a Recovery Coach, Recovery Coach Trainer, and Certified Peer Specialist, using her story of addiction and recovery to help others gain hope and insight into new ways of living.
Tanya Kraege APSW, CSAC, MSW, CCAR Coach, CCAR Trainer, WICPS
Kristina Vaccaro
Kristina Vaccaro is the Drug Poisoning Prevention Peer Provider Team Supervisor at Safe Communities of Madison and Dane County, WI. Kristina has worked with the substance use and recovery community for nearly six years, using her experience in recovery to inspire and support those currently struggling with substances or mental health challenges. She started providing peer support to those struggling with substance use in 2017 and eventually moved into a leadership position with Safe Communities. She has worked alongside the program manager to implement programs and supervise a team of 18-20 Recovery Coaches/Certified Peer Specialists providing direct services. Kristina works closely with the program manager, funders, and developers to bring to life a recovery practice management solution to ease the daily burden of program management and supervision. Kristina is a recovery coach, recovery coach trainer, and a WI Certified Peer Specialist. She also serves on the board and volunteers at a Dane County-based recreational BMX track and, most recently, on the board of directors for her family foundation working with Wisconsin-based nonprofits to enhance their work. Kristina would tell you she loves her job and the people she gets the honor to work alongside. Kristina’s children and husband mean the work to her outside of work and spends her time outside of work with them.
Kristina Vaccaro BS, CCAR Coach, CCAR Trainer, CPS
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The Supervisors of CPS & CPPS Community of Practice is for people who can say:
1. I have worked as a Certified Peer Specialist, Certified Parent Peer Specialist, or in a similar peer role and have my own relevant lived experience.
2. I also supervise other Certified Peer Specialists or Certified Parent Peer Specialists in Wisconsin or am looking to develop supervisory/organizational leadership skills.
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Click Here to View Past Communities of Practice!
Note: Starting with Community of Practice gatherings from September 2021 and beyond, you will be able to watch the recording and fill out an evaluation link for continuing education hours (CEUs) if you do so within two weeks of the recorded community of practice date.
Starting in August 2021, we strive to ensure each Community of Practice gathering has ASL interpretation and live captioning. If you have reasonable accommodations requests regarding our Communities of Practice, click here to submit reasonable accommodations requests at least a week before the gathering.
Privacy note: Community of Practice gatherings may be recorded for later on-demand viewing.
CEHs: Attendance at the CPS & CPPS Community of Practice and some Supervisors of CPS & CPPS Community of Practice gatherings and completion of post-gathering evaluations will earn you 1.5 hours of continuing education credit good for recertification purposes in Wisconsin. The evaluation will be sent to the email with which you register to attend a Community of Practice gathering.
Like the community of practice gatherings in Wisconsin? Want to expand your learning in a national context? Please check out the communities of practice hosted by the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence (click here), which are structured very similarly to the ones in Wisconsin.
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.