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Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative

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Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative

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Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialists and Certified Parent Peer Specialists - "Make a Difference"

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/wicps

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/wicps/

09/30/2026

This was our last day as WIPSEI’s Program Manager and Trainer and Community Engagement Coordinator, and before we go, we want to share some sentiments with you.

For those who may not know, 2025-2026 was our last fiscal year with the peer specialist contract. Our contract ends today, and the peer specialist contract will be transitioned to UW-Milwaukee CITEE on October 1st. We know this will be a big change and change is hard, always. Yet, we know our peers have gone through changes before and it can be done again - with patience, grace, and with each other.

So, we want to thank you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us to serve you in these positions. Thank you for letting us be a part of your mental health and/or substance use recovery journey. Thank you for giving us a chance to bridge your lived experiences and expertise towards the path to becoming a Certified Peer Specialist or Certified Parent Peer Specialist. And thank you for your unwavering commitment and efforts to making the mental health and behavioral health systems a little easier to navigate because of your advocacy.

We are deeply grateful for your heart, your compassion, and the pure efforts we have witnessed from each of you to make this world a better place for those who walk alongside you and those who come after you.

It has been an honor, friends! We hope to cross paths in another capacity 🫶

08/17/2026

❤️‍🔥 Join us on zoom tomorrow for the WIPSEI Community Networking Group ❤️‍🔥

Tuesday, August 18th, 2026
3:00pm-4:30pm

This space is intended for current Certified Peer Specialists and Certified Parent Peer Specialists to build community, debrief different experiences, and receive other peer support updates!

This meeting will host a conversation around advocacy in the CCS program. Please see click this link to see more about this conversation and an introduction to a organization supporting this advocacy effort.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nNBcbvnNe25KpZqQsyB1LXtmqoEXKV7zz3MSFFI8REs/edit?usp=sharing

Register Here: https://bit.ly/ComNetGroup

08/13/2026

It is with deep gratitude in our hearts that we share Kaeden Watford’s last day with the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative at Access to Independence will be tomorrow, Friday, August 14th.

Thank you, Kaeden, for your fierce energy, pure peerness, and unwavering love for community. In every decision you made, it was clear how deeply you care about peers and the peer movement. Every person you crossed paths with, every presentation you gave, and every intentional connection reflected your kind yet bold heart. All that you have given has not gone unnoticed, from stepping into leadership roles when a peer lens needed to be offered to simply taking on calls and emails and thoughtfully addressing peer's concerns and questions. This initiative, the peer movement, and your WIPSEI team are stronger for having known you.

We send Kaeden all of our best as he steps into his next endeavors (and you may still see him supporting us in other ways!). We know how fortunate we have been to be in this work alongside him, and we are certain he will continue to do incredible things wherever his path leads. Thank you, Kaeden, from the bottom of our hearts!

Before Kaeden goes, here is what he wanted to share with you:

"I have enjoyed nothing more than supporting, advocating, and building community in the peer support world. I have had the honor of sharing space with CPS and CPPS all over Wisconsin in different ways. Peer support is and always will be one of my biggest passions. It means so much to me that I have been able to support this initiative over the last two years, and I am sad that this is the end of that opportunity. I know that the fidelity of peer support will continue on through all the individual CPS and CPPS that make this community what it is. I will miss dearly my work family in Acienda and Gaochi. They have shown me community in a way that I experienced it for the first time. I am better from having walked alongside them in this journey, and I am better from having been able to walk alongside each of you in this community."

[image description: A man stands in front of soft golden sunlight on trees, holding a baby close against his chest. Both wear matching beanies - his in gray, the baby’s in black. The baby is wrapped snugly in a cozy fleece blanket patterned with warm tones of cream, brown, and red, while cradled securely in a beige baby carrier.]

08/11/2026

🔥Join us on zoom for the WIPSEI Community Networking Group🔥

Tuesday, August 18th, 2026
3:00pm-4:30pm

This space is intended for current Certified Peer Specialists and Certified Parent Peer Specialists to build community, debrief different experiences, and receive other peer support updates!

This meeting will host a conversation around advocacy in the CCS program. Please see click this link to see more about this conversation and an introduction to a organization supporting this advocacy effort.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nNBcbvnNe25KpZqQsyB1LXtmqoEXKV7zz3MSFFI8REs/edit?usp=sharing

Register Here: https://bit.ly/ComNetGroup

08/07/2026

❗August Supervisor Community of Practice❗

“Sustaining Ourselves in Supervision: Trauma‑Informed, Strengths‑Based Approaches for CPS & CPPS Supervisors” with Amy Polsin

This interactive session explores how culture, identity, and power shape the supervision relationship within CPS and CPPS roles. Supervisors will examine how their own identities influence communication, expectations, and staff experiences — and how to create supervision spaces that are safe, inclusive, and grounded in cultural humility.

Facilitated by Amy Polsin, a light‑skinned woman with lived experience navigating Wisconsin’s child‑ and family‑serving systems, this session acknowledges how identity impacts both perception and power in professional settings. Together, we will explore practical strategies for supporting staff with lived experience, recognizing bias, and strengthening trust through reflective, identity‑informed supervision.

Participants will engage in real‑world scenarios, guided reflection, and collaborative discussion to deepen awareness and build skills that support equitable, values‑aligned supervision.

📌Thursday, August 27, 2026
📌Time: 1:30PM-3PM
👉Register: https://bit.ly/SupCoP

08/06/2026

❗August CPS/CPPS Community of Practice❗

“Volunteer Orientation Guide” with Deb Mejchar

Join us in this Community of Practice gathering to prepare on how to serve with integrity, humility, and steady presence inside correctional facilities.

📌Thursday, August 20, 2026
📌Time: 1:30PM-3PM
👉Register: https://bit.ly/CPSCoP

07/31/2026

❗Ethics & Boundaries CoP❗

"Ethics in Motion: A Practice Lab for Peer Support" with Paula Buege

Join us for an interactive, three-hour workshop designed for Certified Peer Specialists (CPS), Certified Parent Peer Specialists (CPPS), and Recovery Coaches. This hands-on session explores the real-world situations where ethics and boundaries arise in peer support work.

Participants will learn how to recognize and navigate power dynamics, maintain healthy and professional boundaries, protect relational safety, and respond to challenging situations with clarity, confidence, and integrity. Through discussion and practical application, attendees will strengthen their ethical decision-making skills and gain tools and strategies that can be applied in their everyday peer support practice.

This workshop is designed to build confidence, enhance professional growth, and provide the peer workforce with a durable toolkit for ethical and boundary-centered practice.

📌Monday, August 17, 2026
📌Time: 1:30PM-4:30PM
👉Register: https://bit.ly/EB-PB

07/20/2026

🔥Join us TOMORROW on zoom for the WIPSEI Community Networking Group🔥

Tuesday, July 21st, 2026
3:00pm-4:30pm

This space is intended for current Certified Peer Specialists and Certified Parent Peer Specialists to build community, debrief different experiences, and receive other peer support updates!

Register Here: https://bit.ly/ComNetGroup

07/13/2026

❗July Supervisor Community of Practice❗

“Substance Abuse and the Peer Support Role” with Bex Dadds

Peer Support Specialists play a vital role in walking alongside individuals as they discover what works best for them. In this engaging 90-minute class, participants will explore how to effectively support peers living with Substance Use Disorder through a person-centered, recovery-oriented approach. Topics include practical coping skills, the unique role of peer support, and strategies for encouraging hope while honoring each person’s chosen path to recovery. We’ll also discuss the value of both anonymous recovery programs and multiple pathways, recognizing that recovery looks different for everyone, honoring our peer’s autonomy.

This class also examines the important role families and support systems play in the recovery process. Participants will gain insight into fostering healthy communication, setting appropriate boundaries, and connecting peers and their loved ones with meaningful supports. Whether you’re a new or experienced Peer Support Specialist, you’ll leave with practical tools, increased confidence, and a deeper understanding of how to empower individuals and families on the journey toward sustained recovery.

📌Thursday, July 23, 2026
📌Time: 1:30PM-3PM

👉Register: https://bit.ly/SupCoP

07/10/2026

❗July CPS/CPPS Community of Practice❗

“Rural Realities: Making a Big Impact in Small Tribal Communities” with Jessica Bigboy & Robert O’Claire

Peer support in rural Tribal communities often looks different than it does in larger systems. Services may be limited, transportation may be a barrier, relationships often overlap, and peer specialists may be supporting people they know personally while also navigating confidentiality, boundaries, burnout, and cultural responsibilities.

In this Community of Practice, Robert “Rob” O’Claire and Jessica Bigboy from the Bad River Tribe will share lived and professional experiences providing peer support, recovery support, and behavioral health services in a small, close-knit reservation community. Together, they will explore the realities of working in resource-limited Tribal settings, including the challenges peers face helping their indigenous peers navigate through systems that have historically harmed our people, and the strengths that come from culture, community connection, trust, and shared responsibility.

This session will invite reflection and discussion on how peer specialists can support recovery while honoring boundaries, relationships, and community identity. Participants will leave with practical insight into culturally grounded peer support, rural service challenges, and the creative ways Tribal communities continue to build healing, resilience, and recovery with the resources they have.

📌Thursday, July 16, 2026
📌Time: 1:30PM-3PM
👉Register: https://bit.ly/CPSCoP

Address

Madison, WI

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16082428484

Website

http://wicps.org/

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