Peer Support Groups Resources – Handle With Care: Oklahoma

Peer Support Group Resources

This “Umbrella of Relational Strategies” visual was community-designed with parent leaders and OK Turning Point Council to show critical infrastructure needed to address health disparities with interagency approaches that are mutually reinforcing. To operationalize this framework, Public Health Institute of Oklahoma (PHIO) can work with communities to “glue these puzzle pieces together” creating an umbrella of supports to address health disparities and advance trauma-informed interagency strategies.

Building upon the success of the 2020 partnership with the Oklahoma Shared Clinical & Translational Resources, PHIO deployed RADx-UP, a National Institutes of Health initiative, to understand the factors associated with disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. In 2022-2023, PHIO collaborated with the Oklahoma State Department of Health on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a 1-year COVID-19 health inequities and disparities planning grant to address continued infrastructure development and capacity building for communities/counties experiencing negative health and social impacts related to COVID-19.

Umbrella of Relational Strategies

Getting Ahead

The YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City is now accepting participants for GETTING AHEAD, a new initiative offered by the Y as a space for those struggling to make ends meet. This free 16-week program will help you set your own goals for your life, build a network of support, and discover resources to create a more stable environment for you and your family.

Getting Ahead Information

Family Field Guide to increase stability

Every child is different and there are no easy answers when it comes to parenting. That is why the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has partnered with the Oklahoma State Department of Health to bring comprehensive resources to parents and guardians with the OK Family Field Guide. Visit the Family Field Guide website to watch educational videos, find local community support, receive free consultations, and much more.

Additional Resources

Peer Support Group Monthly Meetings

In collaboration with the Public Health Institute of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Muskogee Bridges and the Oklahoma Parent Partnership Learning Community (OK PPLC), we are promoting this monthly planning call to increase public-private interagency collaboration around peer support groups.

Action Team: Facilitators of Peer Support Groups
Please join us for monthly statewide planning calls for facilitators of peer support groups and agency leaders implementing or interested in peer support groups. All are welcome. Feel free to invite interested colleagues. See below goals.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOGorjojGNyvNKnoVh4f0rw3rBqo3nef

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

2nd Wednesdays of the month; 10:30 – 11:30am

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Proposed Meeting Goals:

strengthen family and community well-being by addressing social drivers of health with peer support groups/life skills classes, especially in zip codes with high density “rising-risk” Medicaid/SoonerCare members;
encourage communities to implement peer support groups with trained facilitators (frontline family engagement specialists, case managers, health navigators, family advocates, community health workers, behavioral health aides, parents as teachers, family support providers, peer recovery support specialists, counselors, etc.);
discuss sample partnership agreements to reduce shared costs of peer support groups;
discuss shared data and measurement tools (sample tools);
support new and experienced facilitators by sharing best practices together, create a shared google drive, and provide opportunities for collaboration and resources

What is a peer support group?

1) Reduces Sources of Stress/Removes Barriers for Participation;
provide weekly family meal,child care, stipend, and transportation if needed

2) Supports Responsive Relationships and Environments;
8–12people meet weekly for 18 weeks to build authentic relationships that lastbeyond graduation

3)Strengthens Core Life Skills;
Over 4-5months, two trained facilitators use a curriculum thatbuilds executive functioning skills in 11 domains

Sponsored support/technical assistance will be provided by:

Jennifer Colbert
Social Determinants of Health – Community Facilitator
Treasure McKenzie, Muskogee Bridges
Adrienne Elder, MPH, Director of Interagency Special Projects, EB Consulting
Spotlight community facilitators, peer support group graduates, special guests and national speakers!

Qualities of a Facilitator:

Facilitators agree on the philosophy, concepts and underlying principles that allow flexibility, yet consistency in how the program information is presented.
A facilitator investigates his/her own life while program participants investigate theirs.
Facilitators are both open-minded and compassionate.
Facilitators have a sincere desire to see others succeed.
Facilitators ask thought-provoking questions, but do not supply any answers.
Facilitators do not disrupt the learning experience of others.
Facilitators recognize the value of the gifts, talents, knowledge, insights and leadership that people experiencing adversity can offer.
Facilitators are the biggest advocates for graduates.