Tom Lane tagged posts

How Peer Specialists Enhance Shared Decision Making

Tom Lane, Certified Recovery Support Specialist

Much has been written about patient-centered care. Proof that this model is gaining acceptance is the evolution to shared decision making (SDM). The National Learning Consortium defines SDM as a “process in which clinicians and patients work together to make decisions and select tests, treatments and care plans based on clinical evidence that balances risks and expected outcomes with patient preferences and values.”

In a recent CFYM post John Williams, M.D., writes that there are several tools that clinicians can use to step through the shared decision making process. Dr. Williams opines that when there are many different treatment options, SDM takes on added importance. As a result, a major step in the SDM process must be for clinicians to understand the desired outcomes of their patients.

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Congressional Briefing Informs on the Value of Peer Support Services

“Peer support services work because we instill hope.” That’s the message from Olga Wuerz, an army veteran and certified peer specialist, during a congressional briefing held today by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).

Echoing that message, DBSA president Allen Doederlein shared that by instilling hope through positive self-disclosure, peer support specialists can influence the path to recovery and wellness for individuals living with a mental health condition...

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