PEER PLACE could face cuts from County! Call to Action!
Once again, we are faced with potential funding cuts to essential services for people with serious mental illness. County staff has made the recommendation that the county invest NO FUNDING in Peer Place this year. This would mean a REDUCTION of $39,000 in funding for Peer Place at a time when our need is for $59,000.
NOW is the time to educate our County Commissioners so they can make an informed decision. The County Commission will be reviewing the recommendations and deciding whether to approve, modify, or defer action on them. Now is the time to advocate for Peer Place and to educate the Commissioners about the important services provided at the Drop In Center for People with Mental Illness.
Tell them that Peer Place provides services to people with mental illness without regard to income status, but that nearly ever client of Peer Place is on SSI or SSA Disability, well within the income thresholds that the County focuses its funding on.
Tell them that Peer Place helps people to live independently and avoid costly hospitalizations, and that the modest amount of County funding provided to the program is more than offset by a reduced need for costlier inpatient programs.
Tell them that the peer and professional counseling that Peer Place provides isn’t available anywhere else in Palm Beach County and that, if it were reduced to a cost per unit of service per client, is costing the County less than $4.00 for every service delivered at Peer Place.
Tell them that Peer Place employs one full-time director and four part-time peer mentors who provide many of the services offered at Peer Place, and the County’s money is the equivalent of all four part-time peer mentor salaries.
Please help us prevent this short-sited funding cut that could potentially cost the county more money by pushing people with mental illness out onto the streets where they have a greater chance of being hospitalized, homeless, and incarcerated.
Please contact the County Commissioners and ask them to fully fund Peer Place. Peer Place should receive the $59,000 requested to maintain current levels of services and to add planned new ones for Veterans and their families. Please email the County Commissioners today to suggest that they fund Peer Place. BCC-AllCommissioners@pbcgov.org
Also, if you can, please come to the hearing tomorrow Tuesday July 13th at 9:30 am to testify on behalf of Peer Place or to just show your support. The address is 301 North Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach.
Here is some important information that all Commissioners should have about the importance of Peer Place. Please feel free to copy and paste this important information into your emails and refer to them during your testimony:
Peer Place Drop-In Center works with its community partners to serve the estimated 60,000 people in Palm Beach County who have serious mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Serious Depression, and more. Established in 1992, Peer Place has provided a safe place for up to 600 consumers of mental health services each year to learn essential wellness and recovery skills. Peer Place goals are based on the evidence that consumers are more likely to seek and adhere to treatment when they are encouraged by peers and have developed client-directed wellness plans that lead to more stability, less isolation, and fewer costly hospital stays.
· Learn essential wellness and recovery skills.
· Obtain social and emotional supports in the community to facilitate the process of recovery and to prevent negative outcomes such as homelessness, unnecessary hospitalization, and incarceration.
· Provide self-directed and peer-supported education and wellness activities that create prevention, resiliency, and recovery:
o Support groups and wellness planning and support including the WRAP program (Wellness Recovery Action Planning), which helps participants develop an individualized plan for successful living. Structured and certified peer mentoring and facilitated support groups.
o Innovative mentoring program that fosters socialization and stigma-reduction by pairing consumers with pharmacological students from Nova Southeastern University and other volunteers.
o Referrals to medical and social service providers
o Supported employment (4 peer associates work there part time.) These employees help develop the programming, conduct peer support activities, and one is a licensed peer mentor who also does trainings in the community.
o Provide access to essentials such as telephone, computers, nutrition, and companionship. Participants use computes to pursue their recovery activities, employability skills training including hands-on computer training, job search support, etc.
· Specifically target the needs of special populations such as Veterans and their families.
- Provide 6 and 12 step recovery meetings including Schizophrenics Anonymous for co-occurring disorders.
- Connect the participant with needed prevention, mental health and other services. As part of the Peer Place recovery and resiliency wellness plans, program participants receive information and referral to other community resources and services.
Peer place clients participate in social and/or educational activities that help them feel less isolated, have increased social and interpersonal skills; and develop positive decisionmaking skills.
Outcome data collected by MHA clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of Peer Place:
· 95% of Peer Place participants said they are treated well at Peer Place
· 94% said that Peer Place helped them with their problems.
· 88% said they feel less isolated.
· 94% report feeling more stability now than before they came to Peer Place.
· More consumers are stabilized and fewer decompensate into illness.
· Participating consumers have fewer costly hospitalizations and high end intensive out-patient treatment.
· Participants become part of a supportive community of peers.
· Participants are better prepared for supported and independent living in the community.
· Participants develop social and work skills.
· Participants actively seek informal advice from peers and advice from professionals.
· Consumers know about and use community resources.
Quotes from Peer Place participants:
Peer Place, to me, is a “safe haven” where I can discuss anything out loud and not be judged by anyone. Participating in groups and other areas is key to my losing any sense of a “stigma” re mental illness.
I have become aware of great accomplishments: my self esteem and/or personal stability.
-Tom L.
Peer Place means a place to come to meet others like you: people looking for a place in life.
-Anon
Peer Place is an important part of my life. I have developed good friendships. People respect me, and when I don’t show up people worry about me. People respect me and the program there has kept me out of the hospital. Peer Place is a very important part of my life.
-Mike S.
For me it is a safe haven, a place where I can socialize. If peer place were not open today I would be in my apartment isolating. Peer Place also helps because if I am having a problem, it is a place where I can talk to someone and get a different view on the problem and options on how to deal with the problem. Without Peer Place, I would not be doing anything except isolation and slowly deteriorating mentally. So this place helps.
-Anon
It means to meet new friends that understand you and that they won’t make fun of you and that they almost have the same problems as I do! And Dr. Goodman makes me and others understand about we should not be down all the time. Be positive, never negative! He wants us to be more comfortable for ourselves as for myself as well. And no more feeling sorry about myself! No poor me feelings.
-Earl C.
Peer Place gave me a better will to live. A place to feel togetherness with the outside life. Better to mingle in a happier time. A learning experience of classes.
-Joe P
Peer Place is a place where I can go to express my innermost feelings, wants and desires and I know I won’t be judged. There are always people there who have had the same or similar experiences and by sharing with them I always get good feedback and ideas to resolve my negative situation(s). I whole heartedly believe in group and one-on-one counseling.
-Anon
I like the friendly understanding people who work there. I like the meetings with Dr. Goodman. I like sharing with people out back.
_Rick M.
Peer Place is a wonderful and safe place. I’ve felt that way from day one. Dr. Goodman is the Primo Psychologist of the world. That said each group shares their lives and Dr. Goodman can help us to put it back together.
Kathy is kind and cares so much about everyone.
Patrick, Fred, JP and Monica are so eager to help and give comfort.
Before Peer Place, I was constantly in the hospital and never had peace. Today I have some good times and I am grateful.
-Andrea M.
Peer Place, as the name implies, is made up of people with similar ages. We like a lot of the same things. We’re friendly. Best to us all.
-Chip B.
When I first came to Peer Place 2 years ago, I noticed a spirit of non judgment and kindness. The peaceful feeling and wellness. This place feels like home only without the strife.
-Anon
I come to Peer Place with the VA (veterans) usually. We participate in arts & activities. Also, for special events and picnics. It’s a great place to socialize.
-Ted N.
It’s nice to see people working together, helping out when needed. And it’s nice to have jokes and laughter. And seeing people deal with their problems well and to know that they need to take their medicine. My mother’s mental problems and I didn’t know how to deal with it, but I just gave it a lot of love. Back in the 60’s they didn’t have groups like this. I would have helped so I could understand it better.
-Anon
We learn how to do different art and we make other people happy when they are sick. Peer Place gives us different things to do and they challenge our ability to do. The people that work at Peer Place are nice and understanding. They also do goals with us. Even thought we have mental problems do not stop us doing the things we like to do and our goals. Come and be with us at Peer Place.
-Anon
A place come help ourself to get our mind together, to have fun at Peer Place. It helps me to learn things at Peer Place to better myself. Be around others, the staff makes me feel better with myself every time I come to Peer Place
-Clayton L
Peer Place means a great deal to me. I come for the people I can see. We talk about meds and treatment, and the people are treated kindly by the staff. We are monitored by the staff and are always greeted and left with a good laugh. Snacks and smokes are enjoyed by those who participate and I guarantee you that coming to Peer Place is no mistake.
-Arthur O.
To me, Peer Place means that I can have a dad who now calls to just say “Hi”. I have a dad now who likes to go to events instead of just sitting at home and sleeping. You see, before my dad starting going to Peer Place, all he did was sleep. I would say out of 24 hours, he spent about 20 of those hours sleeping and isolating. When he first started going to Peer Place he spent his days on the couch sleeping and isolating. Thanks to Kathy and all the wonderful people at Peer Place, he started to interact more and more everyday at Peer Place and started to isolate less. Now, fast forward to five years later, and he is at Peer Place every day and enjoys himself. He has more friends than he knows what to do with, which is a good thing, and he is happy. Without Peer Place, I know that my dad and the other people who have benefitted from all of their support, loving and caring would not be where they are today. My dad is not living a happier, fuller life and enjoying his family and friends. This is what Peer Place meant to me. Thanks Peer Place for giving me my fun living dad back.
-Jennifer O.
Peer Place is very welcoming to me as a person. I suffer from bipolar disorder and find it difficult to find a place to go where I am found to be acceptable. Thank you for continuing funding.
-Connie N.
All my life I was searching for my purpose in life and a place where I could use my talents and insights to help others. A place where I “fit in” and have a sense of belonging. Peer Place is just that for me.
Peer Place gives me a reason to get up in the morning, get motivated and get out on the bus or come in with my neighbor, Patrick, who is a peer counselor here at Peer Place. I know we all have a special and unique story as to what we went through with our mental illness. Back in the days when I was first hospitalized at the age of 21 years old, I was put in a state hospital ward that was like a war zone where I was put in a straight jacket. I have come a long way in 30 years and function at a high level on my medication, which took nearly 25 years to find the right meds.
What I’m trying to say is that there is no other place that I would like to be at this time in my life. Peer Place gives me meaning, purpose and friends who are like the “family” at work. I was always searching for where I am accepted and can be myself.
-Cindy A.
Conclusion
People with mental illness need social and emotional supports in the community to facilitate the process of recovery and to prevent negative outcomes such as homelessness, unnecessary hospitalization, and incarceration. Palm Beach County must provide the types of treatment options needed by those with serious mental illness to avoid negative outcomes. In addition, we need to develop strategies that will encourage people with mental illness to comply with treatment and medication requirements.
Peer Place meets the needs of people with mental illness using client-focused strategies designed to advance their own recovery and resiliency. As a result, clients spend much more time interacting with others in the community and experience more stability with their treatment and their families.
Please contact us to learn more about how you can help.
Also, find more relevant information on the attached policy brief on the state of services in our county and be moved to action.
