Effectiveness of the chronic disease self-management program for persons with a serious mental illness: a translation study.

Evaluation of evidence-based interventions in new settings and new populations is the hallmark of successful translation. We evaluated the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program in persons with serious mental illness who were receiving care through Michigan Community Mental Health Services (N = 139). At 6-months, participants demonstrated improvements in health indicators (fatigue, quality of life, sleep, depression, health distress, and days health bad) and health behaviors (medical adherence and communication with doctor). The program was successfully administrated in a "real world" setting and continues to be used. In addition, the program appears to be an effective resource for people with serious mental illness.

Implementing a State-Funded Peer-Run Mental Health Warmline During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The advent of COVID-19 was associated with an upsurge of "warmlines," or telephone lines staffed by non-clinicians that provide non-crisis mental health support. This paper describes a state-funded warmline initiative that was part of a public health approach to mitigating the harms of COVID-19 among people living with mental illness.

Integrating oral health into community health worker and peer provider certifications in Michigan: A community action report.

INTRODUCTION: A multi-disciplinary, community-university-government collaboration resulted in the development of Oral Health for Community Workers, a brief, oral health online e-learning module. The e-learning module was designed to improve oral health literacy among frontline health workers who are members of underserved communities, and to address oral health disparities in safety net medical and behavioral health settings. METHODS: Community-based participatory methods were used to design and evaluate the e-learning module. Participants took pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up surveys. RESULTS: Oral health literacy and confidence in incorporating oral health into practice improved. Satisfaction with the module was high. DISCUSSION: Oral Health for Community Workers is now sustained as a standard module within Community Health Worker, Peer Support Specialist, and Peer Recovery Coach Certification and continuing education offerings in Michigan.

Survey of Peer Support Specialists: Professional Activities, Self-Rated Skills, Job Satisfaction, and Financial Well-being.

As the certified peer support specialist (CPSS) workforce matures, their roles evolve, leading to gaps in knowledge about their activities. This study aimed to address these gaps through a survey on CPSS activities, self-rated skills, job satisfaction, and financial well-being. The project team recruited a community advisory board of CPSSs to lead survey development. A survey link was e-mailed to all known CPSSs in the state of Michigan (N=1,128), yielding 394 respondents (35% response rate), of whom 319 were included in the analysis. The highest skill self-ratings included sharing recovery stories (rated very strong by 80%); the lowest included vocational support (rated very strong by 33%). More than 75% were satisfied with their workplace supportiveness; less than one-half were satisfied with their promotion opportunities. When asked if they could generate adequate funds to address a common financial shock, 115 of 301 respondents (38%) were "certain" they could not, suggesting financial vulnerability. These results support developing career ladder opportunities for CPSSs.

Promoting health and wellness through peer-delivered services: Three innovative state examples.

OBJECTIVE: This article provides examples of the development, implementation, and funding of peer-delivered health and wellness services in three states. Health and wellness services are critical to addressing the health disparities facing people living with mental health and substance use disorders served by the public behavioral health care system. METHODS: Information was compiled from the authors' experiences as champions in three states (Georgia, Michigan, and New Jersey) and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, as well as documents from and discussions with local state and national sources. RESULTS: Key issues for the implementation and expansion of peer-delivered health and wellness services include defining the model to be disseminated, providing training to prepare the peer workforce, accessing funding for implementation, and establishing clear expectations to sustain the services and maintain quality over time. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Peer-delivered health and wellness services can help address the health disparities facing people who are living with mental health and substance use disorders through a variety of innovative models tailored to local needs and circumstances. (PsycINFO Database Record