to the Iowa Peer Support Training Academy. If accepted, I will go into the final pool of interview candidates for the position of Peer Support Specialist at my local shrink-shack. I've done my best, now it's up to God. People will still buy stuff whether I tell them to or not. Commerce will move along just fine without me.
Wow...is that not a change in direction, shift in gears, horizon. A leap of faith Rob? a fear reaction? Holy Moly!! Wet Person what ocean have we come to? Don't have to explain...praying this is a HP thing for you and your HP.
Iowa has implemented a Peer Support program where "specialists" are hired to work under a Peer Support Co-ordinator, who answers to the assistant director of the mental health provider. In this case a four-county non-profit mental-health agency.
The Support Specialist helps addicts & the mentally ill navigate "the system" and also provides one-on-one and group support as someone who has "been there recently", rather than a therapist. They also help the client form their own Wellness Recovery Action Plan and encourage "buy-in" to the client's recovery, whenever possible. There is policy at this facility that 12-step programs may be mentioned, literature provided and membership stated by employees if asked but no endorsement or affiliation implied, although Hazelden & Matrix materials strongly encourage client participation.
The job is about communicating, advocating, monitoring, mentoring and supporting as a hands-on segment of the overall recovery plan.
If accepted, hired & trained I will approach the job with honesty, open-mindedness & willingness. Over the last year and a half I have gotten to know many of the counselors at the agency very well and they asked me to apply for the position. My application includes two Letters of Support & Recommendation. The one from my physician stated that he has had communications with "members of the local mental health community" who think I would be good for this job.
I approach the application process humbly and with realistic, possibly even neutral, expectations. God's Will - Not Mine, Be Done.
The money is about the same as what I make now with better benefits and a steady salaried check (+ OT for "on-call") instead of the "feast or famine" of commissioned sales.
Called the mental health provider to ask if they would look pover my app to make sure I had everything required and they said "those are being reviewed by committee today...right now! Fax what you've got and hope they accept it.
I had not written down the deadline.
So, I may have choked this game before even hitting the field.
But y'know what? That's cool. What's the true starting point of Our Program?
God knows what's best for me much better than i do. Whatever happens is exactly what is supposed to happen.
Y'know, a year after I quit drinking...the liquor store goes up for sale. I wonder if I'm putting the word "should" out of business, too?
