Recovery Alert Volume 2015 Issue 15 March Page1 In This Issue! Peer Spotlight 1 D/HH Director 2 Tribal Model 2 WIA 3 PEER Spotlight Tribal Model Continued3 Peer Conference 4 Recipe for Wellness 4 Sue Young Sue was one of the original peers who helped start the POWER Wellness Center, as she will tell you. She made huge progress in recovery and is someone other peers can look to. As Sue looks back on her journey; ?I was with NAZCARE when POWER was first started. I feel like I have come a long way. I was bad off and NAZCARE has helped me come a long way. I was not me. I was under a lot of pressure but being with peers has helped me come out of my shell and I am really being myself now. I am socializing a lot these days and I am a lot happier. I don?t just sit around; I get out and have breakfast with my friends and help out at my church. When we asked what support she can offer peers who are just getting into NAZCARE she stated; ?Using my WRAP tool box helped me through hard times and I still use it today. These days I am exercising, journal, and meditating. It also helps me to work at the local thrift store, ?the doggy thrift store.? POWER Wellness Center staff report they feel lucky to have her support at the center and feel her story is a success story that needs sharing. Click on any of our partners logos below to be directed to their website. Volume 2015 Issue 15 March Page2 Introducing: The Director of Deaf & Hard of Hearing (D/HH)Services for NAZCARE, Inc. Laura Richard Laura has established the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/ HoH) Warm Line for NAZCARE to provide services seven days a week from 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM. This Warm Line provides jobs for the D/ HoH and NAZCARE is looking to employ on the Warm Line for the D/ HoH in the Prescott area. NAZCARE hopes to replicate this service in other areas in the state to provide needed services and jobs. NARBHA?s Community Reinvestment grant and an Equipment Grant from Purple VP made the establishment and expansion of the D/ HoH Warm Line possible. Laura is such a dynamic leader and advocate for the D/ H0H community that NAZCARE will be placing Sorenson VP systems in all the Wellness Center throughout the State to allow the D/ HoH to access services and resource immediately instead of waiting. Laura is helping NAZCARE to change the culture of the agency to understand how to eliminate the barriers for the D/ HoH because change starts with NAZCARE. Each week staff learns six new sign in American Sign Language to help in communicating with the Deaf, especially since we will be hiring more D/ HoH to become Peer Support Specialists to serve the D/ HoH in the language of choice. Watching staff sign has lit a flame under members of our wellness centers with a desire to learn sign language and many feel it is a great job skill. Many peers know people who are deaf and they isolate. Peers want to communicate because they know the feeling of being isolated. It has become such a wonderful cultural change that recently Porfia Brower taught a Peer Support group for Serenity Circle and New Hope with a Hawaiian Dance all in Sign Language. NAZCARE is excited to have Laura on staff and leading the way. In addition, we thank her for being a leader and an advocate for the D/ HoH and NAZCARE! NAZCARE's award winning tribal model is continuing to move forward with great success. Starting in April 2015 White Services (WMABHS) will be sponsoring 15 more tribal members in receiving NAZCARE's tribal model training for Peer Support Certification. We asked Shannon Gollner, the CEO of WMABHS to speak about the success of Peer Support Specialists in her program; ?In my professional opinion the Peer Support plays an intricate part in both a mental and behavioral health agency. The Peer Support Specialists take on many roles through their own recovery. They become a wellness coach, peer advocate, recovery support, group leader, counselor, mentor, and educator. The Peer Support Specialist brings their commitment to his or her own story of recovery to share with others. They have a willingness to share that is inspirational to those who are struggling. The Peer Support Specialist can bridge the links to those clients who are afraid, unsure, and often unwilling at times to reach out for services they need due to embarrassment, stigma, and lack of understanding.(Continued on pg.3) Would you like to see NAZCARE on TV again? Thanks to City 4 TV from Show Low, AZ you can! If you have the electronic version of this newsletter, click the box below if not type this address in your browser https:/ / www.youtube.com/ watch?v=tT7erUxc31Y Wellness In Action "WIA Team" Tips on Stress Management Article by Sue Sawyer and Laurie Verdier It is estimated that at least 90% of all visits to health care professionals are related to stress. Stress compromises the body?s immune system and contributes to illness and disease. NAZCARE?s Wellness In Action groups encourage and teach you to design and practice your own personal health maintenance plan to better manage stress. Some activities you can do anytime, anywhere, to effectively reduce stress for free are: - BREATHE- by simply breathing more deeply we can reduce our stress immediately. Start by taking a deep breath through the nose for 7 seconds, then hold that breathe for 7 seconds, then breathe out slowly through your mouth for 7 seconds. This breathing technique is called ?7-7-7?. - STRETCH- Stretching can be done while sitting or standing. Stretching different parts of your body helps with blood flow, circulation, and releases tension. - TEMPLE RUBS- With your index and middle fingers, gently apply pressure to your temples, using a circular motion going in one direction for a few seconds and then reversing the direction. Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. This is a necessity, not a luxury. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule, make time for leisure activities that bring you joy. Connect with others; spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress. Healthy ways to relax and recharge include: go for a walk, spend time in nature, call a friend, write in your journal, take a long bath, play with a pet, read a good book, listen to music, watch a comedy. You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health in the following ways: - Volume 2015 Issue 15 March Page3 Exercise regularly Eat a healthy diet. Reduce caffeine and sugar. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. - Get enough sleep. Check with your local NAZCARE Wellness Center for a schedule of Wellness In Action Groups to participate in to learn self-management skills to better handle any stress in your life! Tribal Model continued... They engage their peers through sharing their story, confiding the difficulty they had in maintaining their sobriety, the special training they have received and the struggles they continue to have. The Peer Support Specialists teach wellness in the community, reach out to other agencies to provide services through talking with and teaching clients. They take pride in their ability to be role models and take responsibility for their positions." The Lead of WMABHS Work Program, Case Manager, Steve Colelay reports, "I am proud to say they have achieved so much and have good a lot of tools needed to overcome their trials and errors. Peer Supporters show a lot of leadership and have tremendous respect towards helping others and making great role models. Peers Supports have moved up with our organization to working in the front desk to Case Managers to out-of-home Case Manager. Peer Supports started from being students to teachers." NAZCARE appreciates leaders in the network of care that are brave enough to step up and acknowledge the value of Peer Support Specialists. DONOR SHOUT OUT!!! Volume 2015 Issue 15 March Page4 Peer Conference: Stepping Up to Change Conference NAZCARE staff decided this year to host a conference for Peer Support Specialists by Peer Support Specialist about the skills and tools needed as Peer Support Specialists. NAZCARE's annual staff training which has been run as a mini-conference was decided by staff to change into a full conference. This allows all Peer Support Specialist to experience and address the changes that are to come and would update and increase skills and abilities in Peer Support Services and provide a skill set to NAZCARE staff. The conference will be at Black Canyon Conference Center and will be open for another 125 people to join NAZCARE in this event. NAZCARE will partner with ASU to run this pilot and based upon the success and lessons learned the partners hope to turn this into an annual conference. Recipe for Wellness This weeks recipe for wellness is brought to us by peers from Serenity Wellness Center! Pesto! Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich 2/ 3 Cup of basil leaves Spread 4 slices of walnut raisin bread with 2/ 3 tsp of pesto on each slice. Layer each slice with 2 slices of cheese (provolone or mozzarella) and 2 slices of tomato. Now top with another slice of walnut raisin bread and spread both sides with butter. Grill in a skillet for 2-3 minutes on both sides until brown and cheese is melted. You can add avocado on the side. Very good and filling! 2 Tbs of pine nuts or other nuts 1 peeled clove of garlic 1/ 3 Cup of olive oil 1/ 3 Cup parmesan cheese 1/ 2 Tsp of sea salt 1/ 8 Tsp of pepper In a blender or chopper ingredients gradually adding 1/ 3 Cup of olive oil and 1/ 3 Cup of parmesan cheese. I double or triple this recipe and stick it in a jar and store in the fridge for other dishes.
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