Speaker: Garry Lewis
Substance use and mental illness rob us of our belief in our own strengths. Peers help us realize we still carry those strengths in us. This work shop is about how supporting from a strengths-based perspective fosters wellness and recovery for mental health and substance use.
Tools for Learning and Teaching
- Exercises for Strengths Based Peer Support
- Exercise Strengths- two in one file
- Principles of Strength-Based Practices
- Strength-Based Intervention Plan
- Strengths Based Language
- Strengths Perspective in Mental Health
- Strengths-Based Recovery
- Strengths-Based Treatment
PowerPoint Slides
Helpful Web Links
- Definition of a Strengths Based Practice on Wikipedia.
- Strengths based approach for mental health recovery
- Strengths-based approaches for working with individuals – IRSS
- Strengths based language
- What is a Strength-Based Approach? (Incl uding activities and examples)
Print Articles
- “Strength Through Service: Janet”, published in Peering Forward, the HMHAS Peer Advisory Bureau Magazine, 3rd Quarter January 2019 Ed. This article highlights the importance of routine in recovery, interacting with others, helping others (volunteering), and discussing your life with others.
- Module 6: Supporting Goal-Setting, page 89 “Exploring Strengths” in the Washington State Certified Peer Counselor Curriculum.
Garry Lewis
Garry D. Lewis considers himself a peer in recovery of Mental Health and Substance use. He has overcome his own personal challenges of Bi-Polar and Substance use by remaining positive and productive, “living life on life’s terms,” and celebrates his [almost] eight years of recovery. His wellness has led him to work in the Mental health field as Director of a Peer Run Drop-In-Center for the Spindletop Center in Beaumont, Texas. There, individuals in recovery find support, encouragement and hope. Gary is a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS), Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) facilitator, Advanced WRAP Facilitator, Recovery Coach Trainer, Co-Occurring Disorder Facilitator as well an Emotional CPR (ECPR) Apprentice. Gary advocates for himself as well as his peers and understands that recovery can help improve quality of life.