This is my Peer Support Speech, hence the title Speech! Speech! Speech! Its not a professional speech, but it a speech. I also wrote this early in the morning the day of graduation due to not sleep well that night. This might have been from pain, or from being nervous!
Hello, my name is Kimberly Broeske. I am from a rural town name Colby. It is halfway between Wausau and Eau Claire. I live with multiple medical stories, and mental health stories. Now I call them stories, because in fact they aren’t disabilities or setbacks to me.. They are stories.
I applied knowing only very little about what a peer support specialist was before Christmas. I also applied thinking, they are going to have a TON of people applying they aren’t even going to look or even want me. I applied thinking that I wouldn’t be worthy to be chosen because my mental health at that time was stableish, and the only experience that I have in drug/acohol addiction is only going through what I learned in class for Human Services. But honestly, I had no thought that I would get chosen. My interview was a nightmare because it was during a Christmas Party for my younger brother.
Anyway, I got chosen. And I was like so excited, until it came to the day of and the drive the hour and a half (ish) drive here was nerve-racking and anxiety provoking.
When I walked into this room with 16 strangers on that Wednesday just six days ago. I was like, Who Am I to be here in this space.. This is completely out of my comfort zone of safety. I had my doubts that I wasn’t going to mentally make it through the class, and physically.
This is honestly downright amazing thing that I have done. I have gotten my confidence tank filled and refilled so many different times. I learned so much on how I can be empathic more, finding the resources that I need to help others. I learned that we all that “person” to just vent things off to. I learned that throughout the entire time that:
We are all MAD here.
Now, I am not talking about being mad with anger, rage or disgust. I am talking about Making A Difference. We will be making a difference everywhere we will be in the future. Whether that we be working in drop-in centers, or in other workplaces, in the communities as advocates, human services workers, or even just a volunteer writing grants. So we are making a differences in our community.
Now, go out and do Amazing things just remember that it takes something small to make a real difference.
Till Next Time,
K
Update: At the time of posting this I was waiting for the results from the last possible test that I could take to get certified. That came yesterday, I failed. I will be re-taking the class again in the future.
Another Update (08/05/22)- it has been almost a year, of being a certified peer specialist. Life got in the way, during that time. I got a job working full-time in a school- so I did the test while working.
Find My Journey~Mental Health 