What is PEER Support?
The Arts Consortium's My Voice Media Center, in collaboration with the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency, offers a connection to our community for adults who have what is known as "lived experienced" mental illness. This can mean through personal struggle or through experience providing support for someone else.
Our participants are part of free activities at My Voice Media Center such as free art sessions, writing their stories, and volunteering. The activities here at My Voice Media Center are all participant based, centering the individuals on wellness and recovery. As part of this focus and direction towards expression through the arts and wellness we offer a weekly opportunity to attend a peer support session.
Peer Support is an ongoing part of My Voice Media Center as recovery is socially accepted as "peerness", a mutuality amongst others of mental illness. We discuss wellness in understanding an individuals and their support teams in working towards specific goals and achievements.
At MVMC we encourage participants to join our peer support specialist to discuss real-life matters and real-life opportunities as they create a better journey through lived-experience.
What is a Peer Support Specialist?
"PEER SUPPORT WORKERS inspire hope that people can and do recover; walk with people on their recovery journeys; dispel myths about what it means to have a mental health condition or substance use disorder; provide self-help education and link people to tools and resources; and support people in identifying their goals, hopes, and dreams, and creating a roadmap for getting there." (Print the Pamphlet below for more information on Peer Support.
We have Olivia Garza as our Peer Support Specialist. She is involved with
bringing participants to an understanding and focus on their journey. Connecting with them to discuss mental illness, their work with My Voice Media Center and to help them create an atmosphere of recovery and wellness in their lives.
To schedule a peer support appointment with Olivia please call us at (559)802-3266
Peer Support is offered WEDNESDAYS from 12:30-2:PM
