Consumer
Provider Training Program
Mental Health Agencies are hiring trained
consumers to work in direct services positions because:
• Those who have been recipients of mental health services
may be uniquely qualified by their experiences to reach some
hard-to-engage clients.
• Consumer providers serve as positive role models and
offer examples of recovery for both other consumers and staff.
• Having consumers working as peers
raises staff awareness of the impact of their attitudes and
actions, as well as serving to combat stigma within the agency.
• Consumer employees, who are both service recipients
and service providers in an agency, can serve as valuable internal
resources for quality improvement.
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• The agency's credibility with local businesses is
increased when job opportunities for consumers are developed
within the agency as well as sought in the community.
• Trained consumers can be effective and dedicated staff.
They bring a deep conviction about the importance of their
work and a strong belief that clients experiencing symptoms
of mental illness can move toward recovery.
Identification of jobs
Before applications for the consumer provider training will
be accepted from an area of the state, the local Community
Services Board (CSB) or Behavioral Health Authority (BHA)
or private mental health agency will make a commitment to
provide a paid 12-week internship and subsequent paid 20-hour
a week position for a program graduate. Only after that commitment
is received will student applications be solicited from that
part of the state. The CSB employers will also be asked to
identify specific tasks that the future employees will be
expected to perform so that required skills can be included
in the training curriculum. Potential employers are informed
that program graduates will need only nine months of supervised
employment beyond the certificate requirements in order to
be "qualified paraprofessionals" under state Medicaid
guidelines.
Recruitment and screening of students
Students will be recruited only from areas where job commitments
are obtained. Applicants will be encouraged from programs
within local agencies, CSB/BHA's, consumer-run organizations
and drop-in centers, from local DRS counselors and other human
service agencies.
Basic admission requirements include:
* Having a documented serious mental health-related disability
and at least one experience of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
is preferred.
* Being eligible for services from the Virginia Department
of Rehabilitative Services.
* Having a significant period of clinical stability and self-management
of medications prior to applying to VHST.
* Active participation in a clinical treatment program
* Having a strong interest in working in the mental health
field
* Having the ability to read, write and do math on at least
an 8th grade level; achievement of H.S. diploma or G.E.D.
Applicants for the program will complete written screening
tests as well as have a personal interview. The interview
panel will include a mental health consumer and DRS counselor
as well as a representative of the employing agency. Admission
decisions will be made by program staff in consultation with
the employer.
Academic Training
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The classroom training will be held at PVCC
with month long practicum placements at Region Ten CSB. The
sixteen-week curriculum will include:
* Survey of Mental Health Services in Virginia
* Professional Skill Development
* Survey of Serious Mental Illness
* Principles and Practice of Case Management
* Communication Skills for Human Services
Students completing the academic phase of the program will
receive 15 credits from PVCC.
Internship
Following the academic phase of the program, students will
begin a twelve week, twenty hours per week, supervised internship
at the agency where they will be employed following their
graduation from the program. VHST staff will work with the
student and agency staff to resolve any problems related to
role transition and to insure that the student has the knowledge,
skills, and abilities required by the job. Program staff will
also provide on-site supervisory visits and telephone consultations,
as well as review regular monthly reports on the student's
performance. In addition to their field work in the internship,
students will complete a personal employment-centered recovery
plan and other required paperwork during this period. Students
will be paid at the hourly minimum wage during the internship
and will receive an additional six hours of credit from PVCC.
Graduation
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Students who complete both the academic
and internship phases of the program will be receive a Career
Studies Certificate in Human Services from PVCC.
Job Placement
Students who successfully complete and graduate from the program
will be placed in the previously promised jobs in the agencies
where they completed their internships. VHST staff will provide
follow-up services and consultation to both the graduate and
the agency during the first six months of employment as requested.
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