Pathways Vermont’s Peer Workforce Development Initiative
Pathways Vermont was awarded a grant for a Peer Workforce Development Initiative 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. Specific goals of the initiative include, but are not limited to: 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.
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. In all of our programs, Pathways Vermont helps ensure that Vermonters are in a position to lead healthy and meaningful lives in their community.
“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
We will be updating this web page on a regular basis, please check back for updated news. Please see below for our first initiative!
Intentional Peer Support Core Training
The Pathways Vermont Peer Workforce Development Initiative offers complete Statewide Intentional Peer Support (IPS) Core Training free for all participants.
IPS is a way of thinking about and inviting transformative relationships. Practitioners learn to use relationships to see things from new angles, develop greater awareness of personal and relational patterns, and support and challenge each other in trying new things.
Upcoming IPS Trainings:
In light of Covid-19 the certified Statewide IPS Facilitators are transitioning the training to an online format.
The training will be free (+$100 fee per person for training materials).
- April – May Training
- It is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 21st. The facilitators will break the training up into 10 half days. The schedule will be as follows from 9am-12:30pm each of the days:
- Tuesday, April 21st and Thursday, April 23rd
- Tuesday, April 28th and Thursday, April 30th
- Tuesday, May 5th and Thursday, May 7th
- Tuesday, May 12th and Thursday, May 14th
- Tuesday, May 19th and Thursday, May 21st
- It is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 21st. The facilitators will break the training up into 10 half days. The schedule will be as follows from 9am-12:30pm each of the days:
To Register: please email [email protected]
Virtual Weekly Co-reflections
As part of our Peer Workforce Development Inititative we present Vermont Intentional Peer Support (IPS) Online Co-Reflections!
Co-reflection is a process that we can use to help each other reflect on our practice of IPS.
These co-reflections are free, and anyone in Vermont doing peer support work is encouraged to join.
The co-reflections are held weekly, every Tuesday at 2:00pm.
To Register: please email [email protected]
For more information regarding our online Co-Reflections or the Peer Workforce Development Initiative please contact Clara Duman at clar[email protected]
Statewide Peer Support Resources
Copeland Center
Group Title: Achieving Grace Through the Uncertainty of Change
Date/Time: Every Wednesday from 11:30-12:30pm
Registration: Please email Jane Winterling at [email protected] – you will receive a link in an email to enable you to join. These meetings will be ongoing until the pandemic is over and we are free to move around.
Description: Jane Winterling and Lindsay Dean are Vermont WRAP Facilitators who want to reach out during these times of changing emotions. Being involved with others who are challenged by these stressful times where we can share and remind each other of all the resources both internal and external to support our wellness. “I leave feeling better than when I got on gotomeeting. It is amazing how changing my perspective from what is wrong to what is strong and all of the ways I can connect with others just makes me feel better”. This is open to all Vermonters who would like a place to connect to others of like mind.
