empowerment

Wellness begins with “We”: Social Inclusion in Alameda County

by Sharon February 19, 2013 Add Comment

Social Inclusion means that we all matter – every person has value, and each of our contributions are important to the wellbeing of the community. Those of us in recovery from mental health or substance use, can inspire others to move beyond misperceptions and the nuances of exclusion when we speak the truth of our recovery experience. We are led by our vision of a welcoming community in which we are all equal and free to live, love, learn, lead, work, pray, and play.

PEERS launches Empowerment through the Arts Series

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By Shannon Eliot

As part of its expanding effort to promote personal empowerment among consumers, PEERS has launched the monthly Empowerment through the Arts Series. The series, which is part of the Social Inclusion Campaign, features an array of performing and visual arts activities designed to foster communication and self-expression and end internalized stigma.

Stories of Recovery: Yaffa Alter

Get to know Yaffa Alter, the Empowerment Coordinator at PEERS and a native of the Caribbean country Trinidad and Tobago. Learn how she used poetry and writing to recover from trauma as a child, multiple hospitalizations, and self-abuse. Listen to her describe the moment she realized that her dreams and aspirations were in fact possible, and discover how she plans to use her own experiences to help her homeland in the future.

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A Letter of Thanks to the Pioneers

by Shannon October 12, 2012 4 comments

Dear Sally, Joseph, Gayle, Celia, and all of the other trailblazers,

I have never accepted that another person singlehandedly knows what is best for me.

Maybe it’s because I'm self-aware — or incredibly stubborn — but I honestly can't recall a single time in my life where I did something simply because of social pressures or someone in a position of authority told me to do so.

Poetic Expression Workshop

July 26, 2012 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Poetic Expression Workshop

Thursday, July 26 from 6-8pm
333 Hegenberger Road, Suite 250
Oakland, CA 94621

Join PEERS Empowerment Coordinator and published author Yaffa Alter for an introduction to expressing yourself through poetry. Participants will learn how to:

File:

Poetry Workshop flyer.pdf

PEERS hosts inaugural WRAP for Health Conference with Mary Ellen Copeland

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Matthew Federici, BJ North, and Mary Ellen Copeland

In partnership with Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, PEERS hosted the inaugural WRAP for Health Conference on May 1, featuring keynote speaker, Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, author of the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). The conference, which was held at California State University, East Bay, featured talks from leaders in the mental health field and multiple educational workshops.