
Pathways Vermont is a leader in the state’s peer workforce movement and is working to greatly improve consistency, infrastructure, communication, and resource sharing among the peer-workforce community. We are dedicated to ensuring that all Vermonters are in a position to lead healthy and meaningful lives in their community.
Pathways Vermont was awarded a grant for a Peer Workforce Development Initiative (PWDI) by The Department of Mental Health (DMH) in early 2020. The Peer Workforce Development Initiative grant was developed by DMH to help the state build and maintain an infrastructure for a statewide mental health peer workforce. Goals of the initiative include, creating a steering committee, evaluating statewide peer workforce needs, facilitating awareness and participation by providing resources and information to peer support workers, and ensuring the availability of peer support worker training.
“This is a great opportunity to help shift the paradigm around mental health services utilizing the collective voices of Vermonters with shared experiences. We are excited about the possibilities for transformative change by providing empowering connections throughout the statewide peer network.” – Pathways Vermont Executive Director, Hilary Melton
Upcoming Trainings
Online Trainings
There are currently no upcoming Online Webinar events scheduled. Please check back soon for updates.
our trainings
The mission of the PWDI includes the facilitation of various statewide peer support work trainings. Pathways Vermont is working to continuously provide peer workers with innovative and evolving opportunities to learn, grow and share experiences. Our regular trainings and discussions include, but are not limited to:
- Intentional Peer Support
- Harm Reduction
- Conversations About Suicide
- Conversation About Oppression and Privilege
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Get updates on upcoming peer trainings in Vermont.
JOIN THE PEER WORKFORCE COMMUNITY!
Join the Peer Workforce Development Initiative in our Facebook group to discover more opportunities to discuss peer work in Vermont!
Steering Committee Members
The PWDI Steering Committee is composed of statewide leaders in Vermont’s peer workforce. The committee convenes regularly to oversee peer workforce development and training in Vermont.

Hilary Melton
Chair

Hilary Melton
Chair
Hilary is the founding Executive Director of Pathways Vermont. She has 20 plus years experience managing non-profit programs including the first Housing First project under Dr. Sam Tsemberis in New York City in 1992. Hilary is passionate about human rights, social justice and building solutions that are research based, effective, and efficient. She is a published poet, and writes a monthly blog.

Dan Towle
Co-Chair

Dan Towle
Co-Chair
Dan Towle is a mental health advocate, with a primary focus on promoting the benefits and practice of peer support, and peer support worker as an operator on Pathways Vermont’s Support Line. Since retiring from a career in finance and consulting in financial services industry and moving to VT in 2015, Dan has discovered the revolutionary therapeutic and socially connective power of those with mental health conditions mutually and symbiotically helping each other. Over the last 5 years he has tapped this power as a volunteer representing a voice of lived experience in such roles as a: 1). NAMI VT Connections peer support group trainer and facilitator and head of its Central VT Affiliate; 2). Member of DMH’s Adult State Program Standing Committee and VT’s SAMSHA Block Grant Planning Committee; 3). Member of DMH’s 10 Year Mental Health System of Care Plan Think Tank. Dan can be found year-round recreating in VT’s mountains, forests and waterways.

Karim Chapman

Karim Chapman
Karim Chapman comes to VPS with more than ten years of experience at the grass roots and advocacy levels of building and developing programs among our most vulnerable populations. As a lead mentor for Community Connections for Youth (CCFY), Karim was a member of a team that identified young men and women living in and around New York, Harlem, that had direct or indirect issues with violence resulting in court involvement or circumstances with law enforcement.
Previously, he managed and supervised a team of credible messengers that dealt with at-risk youth around gun violence, mediation, life choices, and hospital and shooting responses. Karim founded Life Intervention Team (LIT) in New York, an organization created to intervene in lives of at-risk youth by bringing them through different life experiences that helped cultivate their lives and mind set through education, civic engagement, economic development, team building activities, and mental health education.
Most recently Karim developed and ran the newly formed Crisis Peer Services program for Community Care Network in Rutland. His skill set and lived experience make him a perfect fit for VPS where he can continue his passion for widening the safety net through viable community-based services and advocacy projects for the peer network.

Gloria Van Den Berg

Gloria Van Den Berg
Gloria van den Berg is the founding Executive Director for Alyssum Inc. Alyssum is a residential peer-run crisis respite and hospital diversion service funded by the State of Vermont. Alyssum opened its doors to guests in November of 2011 and has proved to be a successful program. Ms van den Berg has been involved in a state-wide effort to improve the quality of services offered to individuals in need for the past 10 years. Ms. van den Berg has a history of building small businesses. She is a mother of three young adults and has been a Vermont resident and farmer for the past 30 years. She enjoys being outdoors, riding horses, meditation, gardening and transformation.

Katie Wilson

Katie Wilson
Katie Wilson is a passionate advocate for communities and the environment. For seven years, Katie facilitated WRAP groups with all different sorts of people and learned a tremendous amount about herself, her wellness, and got to see all different approaches to hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy, and support. As a systems thinker, Katie serves as the Director of Operations for Copeland Center. She lives in the mountains of Vermont with her spouse, young daughter, and 2 cats.

Ken Russell

Ken Russell
Ken Russell grew up in Brandon Vermont, one of seven children. After attending Otter Valley UHS he headed to California for college where he studied studio art and English. He worked as a teacher, cook and carpenter and worked in video production before becoming involved with the American Civil Liberties Union where he advocated on behalf of the homeless, on racial profiling, and on prison reform and abolition in the California Legislative arena. In 2006 he returned to the east coast and received a masters at the Kennedy School of Government and returned to Vermont to start a family. He worked for Speaker of the House Gaye Symington and for candidates for statewide office and in community development for the city of Montpelier. He also has worked in journalism and property development. Recently he has worked to end homelessness in Central Vermont through his work as Chair of the Montpelier Homelessness Task Force. He lives with his partner Rhonda and their three children in East Montpelier and began work as Executive Director of Another Way at the end of August. He hopes to bring renewed vitality and activism to Another Way and find a strong balance between the need of psychiatric survivors and the unhoused population.

Leslie Nelson

Leslie Nelson
Leslie Nelson works at Howard Center as the START Team Leader, a position which allows her to continue to work with individuals in crisis and distress. In addition to her work with the START Team Leslie’s a recognized trainer and consultant in Dialogical Network Approaches and Intentional Peer Support. She is often asked to speak about her personal experience of negotiating trauma, addiction, love, and daily life.

Malaika Puffer

Malaika Puffer
Malaika Puffer (she/her) manages peer support services at HCRS, informed by her extensive experience receiving services and connection to the psychiatric survivor/mad pride movement. She is a trainer of Intentional Peer Support and A Harm Reduction Approach to Psych Drugs. Outside of work, Malaika is a co-founder of The Hive Mutual Support Network in Brattleboro where she lives with her partner.

Rene Rose

Rene Rose
Bio pending.
Meet Our Trainers

Rebeka Lawrence-Gomez
Pathways Vermont

Rebeka Lawrence-Gomez
Pathways Vermont
Rebeka has been with Pathways Vermont since its inception in 2009. She is committed to human rights, opportunities for all, and individual choice. Prior to her work with Pathways she taught as a Peace Corps volunteer in Batangas, Philippines and worked with Disability Rights Vermont.

Lindsay Mesa
Pathways Vermont

Lindsay Mesa
Pathways Vermont
Lindsay has over 7 years of experience leading Housing First programs at Pathways Vermont. Prior to that, Lindsay worked with people experiencing homelessness in New York City in shelters and soup kitchens throughout the city. Lindsay holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from New York University. She currently serves as the Director of Housing First Programs at Pathways Vermont and looks forward to ending homelessness in the state.

J Helms
Pathways Vermont

J Helms
Pathways Vermont
J Helms is a psychiatric survivor, advocate, educator, and writer. J works with Pathways Vermont as a Training Institute Associate. They have previously worked as a service coordinator in Pathways' Housing First program and a peer advocate at a designated agency. J is a certified IPS Organizational Trainer, Alternatives to Suicide group facilitator, and Hearing Voices group facilitator. They've facilitated trainings and workshops on various topics including psych survivor allyship, trans 101 and trans allyship, LGBTQ+ youth and homelessness, and conversations about suicide.

Alex Ferguson
Pathways Vermont

Alex Ferguson
Pathways Vermont
Alexander is originally from Phoenix, Arizona. He has a background in sound & audio engineering. After having attended college in NYC, he spent time traveling around the country learning about different communities. Moved back to Vermont in 2013 and began volunteering with Pathways. He has been facilitating the IPS training for the past five years. Alexander is currently the Team Lead at the Pathways VT Community center.

Calvin Moen
Western Mass Recovery Learning Community

Calvin Moen
Western Mass Recovery Learning Community
Calvin Moen is a psychiatric survivor, advocate, educator, writer, editor, and performer. He is currently the Greenfield coordinator for the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community and a co-founder and organizer of the Brattleboro-based Hive Mutual Support Network.

Malaika Puffer
Health Care & Rehabilitation Services of Vermont

Malaika Puffer
Health Care & Rehabilitation Services of Vermont
Malaika (she/her) manages peer support services at HCRS, informed by her extensive experience receiving services and connection to the psychiatric survivor/mad pride movement. She is a trainer of Intentional Peer Support and A Harm Reduction Approach to Psych Drugs. Outside of work, Malaika is a co-founder of The Hive Mutual Support Network in Brattleboro where she lives with her partner.
PWDI Resources
Webinars
Vermont Mental Health Peer Specialist Certification in Vermont Webinar
Description: Vermont is one of just four states that does not have a statewide mental health peer specialist certification program. This interactive webinar will offer an introduction to mental health peer specialist certification programs, explore the features and benefits of such a program, address the challenges of such a program, and provide an overview of what a mental health peer specialist certification program might look like in Vermont.