County of Riverside 2nd Annual Executive Leadership Session

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Peer Panel Summary

In 2005, the Riverside University Health System-Behavioral Health began hiring people who had experienced mental illness as Peer Support Specialists to help transform the behavioral health services to a friendlier and more welcoming service delivery system. Peer employees use their personal stories of recovery from mental illness to help others engage in their own treatment and recovery. They also use their experiences influence how services are delivered and shape policy and procedures to ensure that the system is focused on the consumer’s perspective. Peer Support Specialists lead by example and provide hope that recovery is possible. In this session you will hear the stories of four Peer Specialists, and they will tell you how they use their experiences to help others. Paul Baum is a Consumer Peer Support Specialist, working in the Consumer Affair division in the role of Communications Specialist, assisting in the planning, development and implementation of the Peer Navigation Line and Peer Navigation Center to open later this year. Shannon McCleerey-Hooper is the Consumer Affairs Peer Policy & Planning Specialist. Her role is to be the voice of the consumer at the Director’s table. She is responsible for managing all programs relating to consumer peer support services, provide training to staff in recovery model practices and to bring new programming to the system that reduces stigma, and promotes healing environments for the people we serve. D’Nai McCullough is a Consumer Peer Support Specialist, currently working for the Blaine Adult Outpatient Clinic.