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All Peer Conference

Minnesota’s First All Peer Specialist Conference

Peers, Purpose, Passion: Uniting Our Voices

July 23-24, 2021

ANNOUNCING OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS!
Celia Brown

CELIA BROWN

Celia Brown is a psychiatric survivor who was instrumental in developing the peer specialist civil service title in the country and first peer specialist in NYS. Celia is the Regional Advocacy Specialist at the NYC Field Office, New York State Office of Mental Health. She provides technical assistance and support to people with psychiatric disabilities and their families. Celia facilitates trainings on peer support, wellness and recovery approaches in community mental health agencies and is a long-time leader in the peer movement. 

T. Mychael Rambo

T. MYCHAEL RAMBO

T. Mychael Rambo is a Regional Emmy Award winning actor, vocalist, arts educator and public speaker who has made an indelible mark on the Twin Cities’.  He has shared his talents nationally and internationally as well as in television commercials, feature films, and other television programming. T. Mychael is also an accomplished arts educator, affiliate professor at the University of Minnesota, highly sought-after public speaker and committed community organizer.

The 2021 Minnesota All Peer Specialist Conference is Minnesota’s first conference to bring together various types of peers including mental health peer specialists, family peer specialists, peer recovery specialists, etc.  The conference is designed for peer specialists.  The first day of the conference features cross-training options for peers to enhance their skills as well as intensive training opportunities including an opioid use disorder training specifically designed for peers or a session designed to learn how to be an effective supervisor of peer specialists.  The second day of the conference blends dynamic keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and time to visit the virtual exhibit hall.  There are also networking opportunities and recovery groups scheduled throughout the conference.

Conference Dates: July 23-24, 2021

Where: Virtual Event

Rates:

  • $0 – Minnesota residents who are working as a peer specialist, are certified to work as a peer specialist, or are completing training to be a peer specialist
  • $50 – Individuals in a non-peer role (counselors, supervisors, administrators, and other interested individuals) and non-Minnesota residents (regardless of role)

Conference Agenda

To view the conference agenda, click here.

Please note, the agenda is tentative and subject to change.

Registration Information

Register online here: https://events1.social27.com/mcb/auth/register

General conference registration is now open! At this time, you will only be registering to attend the conference. One week prior to the conference, all of the sessions will be viewable on the conference platform and you can select which sessions you want to attend! 

Please contact Minnesota Certification Board if you have any questions about registration.

Call for Conference Presenters

Thank you for your interest in presenting at Minnesota’s first All Peer Specialist Conference! We are no longer accepting applications for this year’s conference. 

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

  • While there are conference events on July 23 and 24, this application is for presentations on Saturday, July 24, 2021.
  • This is a virtual conference. All presentations will occur from your home (or office) location. You need the same computer capabilities that you use to join a video meeting (computer, webcam, microphone).
  • Presentation sessions are either 60 minutes or 90 minutes. The application will ask for your preference, but we cannot guarantee your first choice.
  • All conference presentations will be recorded and available for attendees to view after the event.
  • You are welcome to submit more than one presentation application if you have multiple ideas for presentations.

PRESENTATION TOPICS

Educational topics of interest to the conference planning committee are listed below. However, this list is not exhaustive and the planning committee is open to all ideas. If you have an idea for a presentation topic that is not included on this list, please submit it!  

  • Back to the Basics for Peer Specialists (e.g., crisis planning, documentation)
  • Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Self-care
  • Documentation for Peer Specialists
  • Equity and Disparities, Healing and Uniting
  • Ethics
  • How to Get Recertified, Complete CEUs, and Upgrade Credential During the New Normal
  • How to Stay Hopeful During a Pandemic, Crisis, Trying Times from a Peer Specialist Point of View
  • Increasing Reach in Rural Areas
  • Mindfulness
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Opioid Crisis (Disparities, Barriers, Innovated Ways to Access Services in Diverse Communities, MAT, etc.)
  • Peers Transitioning into Professional Environment
  • Professional Development for Peers
  • Psychedelic Research in Mental Health
  • Starting Out in the Field (Imposter Syndrome, Building Confidence)
  • Stories We Tell Ourselves vs. What We Tell Others
  • Successful Work Environment
  • Tools in the Toolbox: Strategies and Resources for Peer Specialists
  • Wellness Planning/Recovery Management Plan/Positive Psychology

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Submit application online here: Application closed.
The application will be completed via SurveyMonkey. Once you start answering the application questions, you will not be able to save, leave, and return to complete later; if you leave the website, you will lose your progress. We recommend viewing the questions ahead of time and preparing your answers outside of SurveyMonkey. To view the application questions, click here.

2. Within 24 hours, you will get an email letting you know that your application was received

3. By April 30, we will let you know whether your presentation was accepted for the conference or not. We will be in touch with you either way.

If you have any questions, or trouble completing the application, please contact 763-434-9787 or mcb@mcboard.org.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

The application will close on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 11:59pm. You will not be able to access the SurveyMonkey application after this date, and we will not consider any additional applications.

Continuing Education

Up to 10 Continuing Education Units will be available for conference attendees! All conference sessions will be approved for continuing education, for peer recovery specialists by the Minnesota Certification Board and for mental health peers by the Department of Human Services.  All participants may request a certificate of attendance to reflect the sessions they have attended or viewed.

Exhibitor Information

Limited spaces available! (20 to be exact)

RATES:

Fees will be based on organization’s annual budget:

  • $0 – Organizations with an annual budget under $250,000
  • $50 – Organizations with an annual budget from $250,000 – $500,000
  • $75 – Organizations with an annual budget from $500,000 – $1,000,000
  • $100 – Organizations with an annual budget over $1,000,000

INTERESTED? Complete this form and someone from Minnesota Certification Board will be in touch: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MNPeerConferenceExhibit

Conference Planning Committee

Brandy Brink, Beyond Brink
Howard Collier, Minnesota Recovery Connection
Melissa Evers, NUWAY
Lesley Fisher, Minnesota Certification Board
Jode Freyholtz-London, Wellness in the Woods
Sierra Grandy, NAMI Minnesota
Nate Hurse, Minnesota Certification Board
Roy Kammer, Minnesota Certification Board
Gregory Kemp, Twin Cities Recovery Project
Dana Nelson, Department of Human Services
Sarah Washington, Parent Student Advocate, School District Mental Hlth. Team, Special Education Adv., and Eastside Neighborhood Comm.
Shelley White, Department of Human Services

Conference Sponsors

Funding for the 2021 Minnesota All Peer Specialist Conference made possible through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).