A summit meeting was coordinated and held on November 18, 2010 with members of 21 peer and family support programs being invited to attend. The purpose of this meeting was to begin a conversation on how best to work together to enhance peer and family support opportunities in Maine. Below is an update from the summit:

 The Nov. 18^th Summit was a significant success with 37 representatives from peer centers, social clubs, and peer/family recovery and self-help groups attending (also the members of the APFS Steering Committee). The participation was phenomenal, and we're grateful to Craig Freshley for his facilitation skills which afforded everyone a voice and the guidance to bring it all together very clearly. The attendees agreed that an official coalition with a name and a mission should be formed and that another meeting should happen in January. (It was also agreed that AIN should be invited to participate.) The APFS Steering Committee (and any Summit attendee who wished to join in) was asked to draft an action plan based on the Summit discussion and bring it back to the January meeting.  

 The APFS Steering Committee met on Dec. 9^th (its last official meeting) and successfully drafted a proposed action plan and reviewed legislation prepared by NAMI that would designate the Mental Health Community Block Grant funding be used for peer and family supports. Both will be brought to the coalition meeting in January. That meeting will also be facilitated by Craig Freshley. The date/time/location of the meeting will be forthcoming.

To read the summit meeting report, click HERE