When I was accepted into the class I was floored. Having very little knowledge in what being a Peer Support Specialist was, or even if I was completely qualified to be one I went to the class. Mind you, the class was in January and its winter so anything is possible for weather.
This class was geared towards people with mental health and substance abuse issues in the North Central Wisconsin. When I walked into the conference room I was overwhelmed with the diversity of people who is in the class. There were people from all walks of life, and there were also males in the class.
The instructors were amazing, granted I knew one of the instructors or guides through the class from church. They were extremely great, and caring. The class really melded great into a great and caring group. By day 5, we were laughing and crying. One of the things that I really enjoyed was the simulations in the different topics, whether that be “we” were the Peer Support or the instructors were the “peer support”. We also would have a dance party, and when we were graduating we got our sending off words of wisdom after we received our certificates.
As part of the class, and because we live in Wisconsin. The weather can change so quickly in a blink of an eye. My second week (Mon-Wed), I spent it in Stevens Point at a hotel. Little did I know that the first morning after checking into the hotel it had snowed. I fell after having breakfast on the way back out to the van to go to class. Fell on my bad ankle that I had surgery on not once but twice! I went to class that day, and afterwards went to urgent care. Luckily for me, it wasn’t fractured but it was indeed swollen. Told to rest, elevate, ice, and wear the ace-bandage. I was also told to follow up with a orthopedic doctor in Point/Plover. I knew, that it wasn’t going to happen, so I saw primary care after I was back. She sent me to a doctor in Eau Claire, but that’s another post!
I finished the last 2 days, and managed to graduate! My speech that I wrote for the graduation will be posted in another post soon! I was one of 3 speakers, and there is no video of the speech during the graduation however it is posted on Facebook.
Until Next time-
K
Find My Journey~Mental Health 