Missoula County supports of SB 198: Revise laws related to behavioral health peer support specialists, up for hearing at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, in the House Human Services Committee. This bill provides a process for peer support specialists to be licensed rather than certified. The Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sees peer support as a best practice in assisting people in mental health and/or addiction recovery. Peer support workers are people who have been successful in the recovery process who help others experiencing similar situations. Through shared understanding, respect and mutual empowerment, peer support workers help people become and stay engaged in the recovery process and reduce the likelihood of relapse. Peer support services can effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday environment of those seeking a successful, sustained recovery process.
In person testimony from Blayne Metz: Good afternoon Madam chair, members of the committee. For the record my name is Blayne Metz. Last name spelled M-E-T-Z, and I am originally from the little town of Troy, Montana, but hail today from the Garden City of Missoula. I am here today on behalf of Missoula County where I work as the Shelter Project Coordinator. Immediately prior to this role I worked in another state providing case working services to the homeless. During my time there, I was the caseworker for over 400 homeless individuals. I would estimate that upwards of 90% of individuals I worked with had either a substance use disorder, a mental health disorder, or were co- occurring. It’s based on these experiences that I see the immense value of SB198 as I see the same patterns and behaviors here every day in Missoula where our trajectory of growth shows no signs of slowing and the outlook on serving the unhoused and substance use and mental health disorder afflicted individuals also grows. Broadly in Montana, the situation is similar. This bill helps prepare for the changing world where mental health and substance use disorder has clearly reached a crisis point requiring decisive and strategic structural action to address. The time is now to truly recognize peer support as a profession, one that can self- regulate effectively while providing higher standards of education. This bill would also make it less onerous for those who have been in the field for a long time to reach top tier certification. Additionally, it would prepare individuals to stay in peer support for the long term by codifying necessary supervision requirements to ensure these specialists can be supported effectively, and adequately engage in their peer support as they too recover from their own ailments and afflictions. For these reasons, I ask that you support SB198. Peer support works. Thank you.
Representatives Howell and Zephyr,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County supports of SB 198: Revise laws related to behavioral health peer support specialists, up for hearing at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, in the House Human Services Committee. This bill provides a process for peer support specialists to be licensed rather than certified. The Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sees peer support as a best practice in assisting people in mental health and/or addiction recovery. Peer support workers are people who have been successful in the recovery process who help others experiencing similar situations. Through shared understanding, respect and mutual empowerment, peer support workers help people become and stay engaged in the recovery process and reduce the likelihood of relapse. Peer support services can effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday environment of those seeking a successful, sustained recovery process.
Please support SB 198.
In person testimony from Blayne Metz:
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Madam chair, members of the committee. For the record my name is Blayne Metz. Last name spelled M-E-T-Z, and I am originally from the little town of Troy, Montana, but hail today from the Garden City of Missoula. I am here today on behalf of Missoula County where I work as the Shelter Project Coordinator. Immediately prior to this role I worked in another state providing case working services to the homeless. During my time there, I was the caseworker for over 400 homeless individuals. I would estimate that upwards of 90% of individuals I worked with had either a substance use disorder, a mental health disorder, or were co- occurring. It’s based on these experiences that I see the immense value of SB198 as I see the same patterns and behaviors here every day in Missoula where our trajectory of growth shows no signs of slowing and the outlook on serving the unhoused and substance use and mental health disorder afflicted individuals also grows. Broadly in Montana, the situation is similar. This bill helps prepare for the changing world where mental health and substance use disorder has clearly reached a crisis point requiring decisive and strategic structural action to address. The time is now to truly recognize peer support as a profession, one that can self- regulate effectively while providing higher standards of education. This bill would also make it less onerous for those who have been in the field for a long time to reach top tier certification. Additionally, it would prepare individuals to stay in peer support for the long term by codifying necessary supervision requirements to ensure these specialists can be supported effectively, and adequately engage in their peer support as they too recover from their own ailments and afflictions. For these reasons, I ask that you support SB198. Peer support works. Thank you.