Monroe County

Monroe County Bipoc Peer Advocate Training and Development Program - the Monroe County Bipoc (black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Peer Advocate Training and Development Program Will Use Grant Funding to Train Community Residents to Become Certified Bipoc Peer Advocates. the Comprehensive Training Will Be Facilitated Through a Partnership With a Local Organization(s) and Foster Further Bipoc Peer Advocate Employment Opportunities. the Training Prepares and Guides Individuals Through the Certification Process for the Recovery Peer Advocate Certificate (crpa & Crpa-p), Nys Peer Certification, And/or the Ny Certified Peer Specialist (nycps/nycps-p) Certification. the Comprehensive Training Will Facilitate Further Employment Opportunities for Participants. the Monroe County Office of Mental Health Will Oversee Community Partner Agencies, Who in Addition to Training, Will Have the Goal of Employment Placement and Ongoing Support to Participants. Effective Mental Health And/or Substance Abuse Treatment Is Enhanced by the Support of Peer Advocates - Individuals With Lived Experience in Substance Abuse or Mental Health Disorders Aligned to Support the Recovery Goals of Individuals Currently in Treatment. Peers Are Proven to Increase the Likelihood That a Participant Stays in Treatment and Achieves Success in Recovery. This Project Will Establish Credible Messengers in the Monroe County Bipoc Community Who Can Provide Empathy, Navigation, and Support in the Face of Inequities, Poverty, COVID-19, an Opioid Crisis, Widespread Community Violence, and Historical Trauma. Due to a Variety of Factors Bipoc Populations Historically Have Been Wary of Treatment Providers and Services. in Monroe County, There Is a Dearth of Peer Advocates of Color, and Recent Data Demonstrates That Bipoc Residents Are Significantly Less Likely to Participate in Treatment for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Than Their Peers of Other Racial and Ethnic Groups. Bipoc Residents of Monroe County Are Suffering and Dying Prematurely Due to a Lack of Culturally Responsive Mental Healthcare, Which Is Why This Is the Population of Focus for This Project. the Project Goal Is for Monroe County’s Bipoc Children, Youth, and Families to Have Culturally Responsive, Community Based, and Community Driven Mental Health Services and Representative Supports to Ameliorate the Effects of Generations of Structural Racism, Concentrated Poverty, and Racialized Trauma and Build Protective Factors for a Healthier Future. the Project Period Is for One Year and Will Train at Least 100, and Up to 200 Unduplicated Bipoc Adults With Lived Experience in Mental Health or Substance Abuse to Become Certified Bipoc Peer Advocates. the Training and Certification Fees Can Be a Barrier to Individuals and Will Be Provided at No Charge to Participants Through This Project. Success Will Be Measured by Tracking the Number of Bipoc Individuals Recruited for Training, Receiving Certification, and With Job Placements Occurring Following the Training Series, as Well as Those Reaching Six-month Job Retention. a Pre and Post Program Survey Will Assist in Measuring Participants’ Knowledge, Comfort, and Competency Before and After the Training to Demonstrate Its Impact on Preparing Participants to Do This Meaningful and Challenging Work. at the Conclusion of the Project Increased Resources for Culturally Responsive Support and Guidance Toward Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Will Be Available to Our Local Bipoc Community, Through Newly Trained and Certified Peer Advocates. Both Certification Pathways Will Increase Peer Advocate Employment Opportunities for the Individuals and Increase the Availability of Bipoc Peer Advocates in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Fields, Thereby Encouraging and Supporting Those Members of Local Bipoc Community in Need of These Services to Seek Treatment.