Startina White was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. She has worked as a Certified Peer Specialist for 3 years, all of which have been performed at Wisconsin Community Services. She has lived experience with mental health, substance use and has been in recovery for 4 ½ years. Startina believe in the Peer Specialist model of support because without it, she believes that it would have taken her even longer to seek treatment and support for herself. Startina is now the Assistant Director of Community Based Peer Programs at WCS, yet still serves as a Certified Peer Specialist. This work has help kept her humble, motivated, and to work hard in her own recovery every day that she is blessed to wake up.
Chrystal Kuzel is a lead Certified Peer Support Specialist at Wisconsin Community Services. She believes that the most common way people give up their power is by thinking they do not have any. Her goal in supporting her peers is to help them see – that the strength to overcome obstacles in their lives is to first believe that they can. Chrystal started her role at WCS in the CLASP program, where she supported individuals who had experienced a recent mental health and/or substance use crisis. Over her 3 years at WCS, she has added supporting individuals in the ED2 Recovery program and the DOC Peer Support Program. Today she is still supporting people across those three programs. She is also a mother of 6 children and enjoys spending time with them whenever she is not working.
Review what Ethics and Boundaries mean as a Peer Specialist, review WI CPS code of ethics, and role play different Ethical and Boundary examples.
Discuss different kinds of self-care and ways to stay self-aware of oneself.
Supporting Peer Specialist & Peers when relapse has occurred and Relapse Prevention Plans & Techniques.
