Tierra D. never thought she’d be in the position to be able to help others. She spent 11 years as an active drug user, often living on the streets or out of her car. But after inpatient treatment and a lot of work, she now spends her days helping to support others who also struggle with co-occurring mental illness and substance use.
Peer support training
Tierra was part of the first class of Peer Support Training offered at Alaska Behavioral Health. She was anxious about it: she had to take a week of unpaid leave from her job, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. But she loved it, from sharing stories with her peers to the in-depth class curriculum binder. It was the first time she learned what it looks like to be in recovery in mental health: that it could mean being on medication and stable, having goals and a positive life – while still living with symptoms of mental illness. She still uses skills she learned in the class every day.
Peer support specialist
Following the class, she was hired as a peer support specialist for Alaska Behavioral Health.
Relatability is key to the role. She relates to clients who are not wanting to take their medication, because she doesn’t always like it either. As a peer support specialist, she often felt like her role was to help with communication between the client and the treatment team – to make sure clients were heard and felt heard.
Becoming a case manager
Now, Tierra works as a substance use disorder case manager for the ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Team. The ACT team is a multi-disciplinary team that keeps in close contact with clients, seeing them almost daily in the community where they live, prompting for medications, and helping with housing. She still brings her peer support perspective.
“Coming out of a life of substance use with a mental health diagnosis is taxing. I try to just level with clients about that. And sometimes just sit in silence with them on that.”
Tierra wants all of her clients to succeed, and sometimes she has to remind herself to take a step back and give them space to be on their own recovery journey. But she doesn’t stop being their cheerleader: as she likes to tell them, “Baby steps are still steps”.
Alaska Behavioral Health is pleased to offer Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training for Clinicians May 8 – 10, 2023 9:00am-4:00pm (lunch provided) in-person only Anchorage, Alaska Contact: Rozel Buzby, Program Manager at rbuzby@akbh.org for more information.
In our February 2023 community update: Our Anchorage Medical Team is getting ready to move: psychiatry and primary care services will be at the new location March 1! One week until the Alaska Seeds of Change Annual Birthday Celebration! Save the date for upcoming spring trainings in Mental Health First Aid and peer support! Don’t […]
In our January 2023 community update: Save the date for the Alaska Seeds of Change Annual Birthday Celebration! Save the date for the 10th Alaska Advanced Trauma Training Institute, June 1-2 Don’t forget to Pick.Click.Give. when you file for your Alaska PFD Read the newsletter here.
Alaska Seeds of Change is celebrating its birthday! Come join the crew at Alaska Seeds of Change to celebrate another successful year of serving Anchorage area youth! Alaska Seeds of Change provides vocational training for transition age youth, with a focus on personal growth and development and access to on-site mental health care as needed. Youth […]
In our December 2022 community update: Thank you for voting us Best of Alaska 2022 for mental/behavioral health! Funding renewed for our Fairbanks Mobile Crisis Team Expanding Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Managing holiday expectations Holiday clinic hours Read the newsletter here.
In our November 2022 community update, meet a client who found support through our Fairbanks clinic, just when she needed it most. Kendra’s Story: from deep depression to feeling supported Our peer support team continues to grow: meet April! Training staff to meet the needs of those experiencing a first episode of psychosis Read the […]
Kendra’s Story Fairbanks client Kendra knew moving to Alaska from Missouri was going to be tough, but she didn’t know exactly how tough. She has struggled with severe depression for many years, layered with trauma she experienced in her teens and early twenties. So she’s always had to work hard to maintain her mental health. […]
Expanding Parent Child Interaction Therapy at Alaska Behavioral Health
11.15.2022
When parent- child relationships are strained by challenging behaviors such as defiance, aggression and tantrums, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy can help. PCIT is an evidence-based practice for treating anxiety and trauma in children ages 2 to 7.
In our October 2022 community update, learn how we are expanding services and practices to better serve more Alaskans with mental health needs! Sierra’s Designs: A Pop-up Art Show fundraiser to support Alaska Seeds of Change Expanding mental health services in Mat-Su Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: a new evidence-based practice to better serve children & families […]