CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOP

FOR PEER SUPPORT COUNSELORS

• TOPIC: 

Intro to WRAP for Peer Counselors (2-days) 

WRAP® workshops are designed to be highly interactive. Facilitators encourage participation at whatever level feels comfortable. WRAP® is a living document that is unique to everyone. WRAP® facilitators skillfully share this simple and profound educational model so that participants can incorporate WRAP® into their lives. Through engagement in a Intro to WRAP® workshop, participants will have a good understanding of the Key Concepts of Wellness and Recovery, and explore ways to integrate the philosophy into daily life. Participants of Intro to WRAP® workshops will engage in a facilitated self-exploration process. They will unearth strengths and create personal powerful action plans to deal with life’s challenges. Through attending this experiential workshop, as well as time spent developing a personal WRAP®, participants can fulfill the prerequisites needed to attend a WRAP Facilitator training.

This workshop is only open for peers working in Washington state. 

• ABOUT THE TRAINERS:

Sharon Holmes has over 20 years of formal work experience and education. She holds a Master Degree in Education from SIUC, IL, a graduate certificate in Human Resources from Chapman University now Brandman University in Orange, CA, and an Associate of Art and Science Degree from Pierce College, Lakewood, WA. Sharon worked as a WA State Certified Peer Counselor and has managed a team to facilitate change and empower women. She is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional (CDPT). During her tenure a Recovery Educator; Sharon provided direct care management and instruction to clients with mental health and substance use challenges and/or co-occurring disorders. Sharon is owner of Ms. SharCo LLC and Inspiring Here & Now LLC which offers workforce educational trainings; and she is also an Independent Contractor, currently working as Training Coordinator for Hoping the Hope; coordinating WRAP and Continuing Educational trainings sponsored by the State of WA.  She is, facilitating Co-occurring Disorders training, a Certified Therapeutic Options Trainer, teaching de-escalation skills to Certified Peer Counselors, WRAP as an Advance Level WRAP Facilitator. Sharon is passionate about educating others; she sees the power of education as tool to work for other as it is for her and it’s the focus of her work.

Michael Hardie has been employed as a Peer Support Specialist with Optum Pierce BHO since 2009. Throughout his life, he has looked to those around him to try and negotiate life’s difficulties, spending years ‘self-medicating’ with alcohol and drugs. In 2006, he was hospitalized, hopeless and pathetic—until he saw others in the hospital with him getting well, which ignited a spark of hope for him. He was able to stabilize his life, and then turn it around, with the help of those who had walked similar paths. One day a mentor suggested that he try to be of service to others, and this shift of perspective changed everything.

He is now enjoying 12 years of what he likes to call ‘co-occurring recovery’, exchanging peer support with people from all over Pierce County, throughout Washington and even across the country.

He is an Advanced Level Facilitator for the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), a trainer for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) Recovery Coach Academy, the Washington Certified Peer Counselor Training, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for Adults and Youth, and Peer Support Whole Health Training.