Dane County Certified Peer Specialist Panel

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On August 14, 2025, an amazing group of Certified Peer Specialists from Dane County gathered for a panel discussion to highlight the varied and impactful work they do in the community. The panel offered insights into their roles, the everyday challenges they face, and the profound value of authentic peer support. The notes below capture the key takeaways from this meaningful conversation.=

Panelist Summaries

  • Romona (Safe Communities): Focuses on connecting with peers in their communities, with goals varying for each individual.
  • Lisa Marie (Triquestrian): Discussed the concept of “Natural Lifemanshift”—holding space for grief and joy simultaneously. Emphasized that peer support is more necessary than ever and noted the challenges of being seen as an authority in one’s own life, especially in clinical settings.
  • Matt (Chrysalis): Works as a Vocational Peer Support specialist, connecting people to their passions and building connections across different systems.
  • Andrew (Wisconsin Family Mental Balance): Stressed the value of being able to understand and validate peers’ experiences. Noted the challenges of getting people into peer support training and the isolating experience of being the only peer specialist in a setting.
  • Drew (JustDane): Works with justice-involved individuals, providing emotional support and advocacy.

Key Takeaways

  • The Value of Peer Support: The panelists consistently emphasized the power of peer support, which involves meeting people where they are, offering authentic connection, and allowing individuals to feel seen and heard. Peer support helps people feel like they belong and reminds them that they are the authority in their own lives.
  • Focus on Relationships and Humanity: Several speakers highlighted the importance of a person-centered approach over a metrics-focused one. This means building trusting relationships, holding space for difficult emotions, and acknowledging the shared humanity of everyone involved.
  • Challenges in the Field:
    • Organizational: Panelists mentioned ongoing struggles with short staffing, funding limitations, and the challenge of integrating peer support into clinical or traditional settings.
    • Systemic: Barriers like housing, employment, and navigating complex systems (e.g., criminal justice, mental health) were frequently cited.
  • Addressing Burnout and Self-Care: The panelists shared personal strategies for preventing burnout, including regular self-check-ins, doing their own personal work, finding joy in their passions, and recognizing that it’s okay to have a bad day. They also stressed the importance of community care among peer specialists.

Connecting Through Advocacy

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Mike and Audi are two of our dedicated Employment Specialists, committed to supporting Medicaid advocacy at Chrysalis. They’ve even set up writing stations around the building, encouraging peers and participants to connect with their local representatives. We asked them to share a moment of reflection on their efforts and what Medicaid advocacy means to them:

  1. What are the main concerns you hear from participants about the potential loss of Medicaid coverage?

A: Not qualifying for services and losing medical insurance coverage is probably the biggest concern for folks I have talked with. I also have folks who fear that they will be forced to work full time when they feel they are not ready for that, given their mental health barriers

M:  Many people hear about proposals for MA cuts and are worried that they will ‘lose Medicaid’ altogether. Given the lack of specificity in the proposals so far, they feel justified in their fears. This particularly applies to people on Badgercare and MAPP, who are often aware of the ‘special’ nature of their eligibility. People are concerned about the impact of cuts on their mental and physical health. Hearing about possible ‘work requirements’, people point out that they need health insurance to be in a fit state to look for work, rather than as a motivator to get them to work.

  1. In your view, what are the most meaningful outcomes of participant advocacy efforts?

A: Protecting and expanding funding to ensure individuals do not lose access to services.

M: a) Policy change b) Good quality info for everyone affected by policies c) More effective actions by people affected by policies d) Greater responsiveness by elected representatives to the needs of people affected e) Greater readiness on the part of people affected to act politically in the future

  1. What worries you the most about how Medicaid changes might impact Chrysalis as an organization?

A: Individuals that we serve, losing access to services. We have already seen this with CRS to some extent, as we are limiting new referrals. Also, staff losing their jobs is a big concern.

M: Inability to provide services and even greater amounts of time spent in obtaining funding.

  1. Why do you believe engaging participants in Medicaid advocacy is important?

A: In the system that we work within it is very Important that people and politicians can see the impact that different services and programs have on people. Organizing and standing up for things that are important to you is a vital component to our democracy. We could see this in effect at the recent strike that Meriter nurses participated in. 

M: Stories from people affected by policies can be effective in changing the votes of some elected reps, as we know from the efforts to stop the repeal of the ACA. People want to respond to what they hear in the news, but do not have the tools easily available. Once people start to act politically, they tend to continue. 

The opinions of constituents expressed in individual letters rather than using campaign materials are most effective. We are in a great position at Chrysalis to facilitate this, given our face-to-face contact with MA recipients in relationships of trust.

My Afghan Story

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Submitted by Tracy S. Swenson, Chrysalis Clubhouse colleague

Earlier this year I had the incredible opportunity to finish the Success Celebration afghan. As I was designing the afghan with all these beautiful granny squares (made my Miles, Mila, Kurt, and Dee previously) a story evolved. 

This is that story. 

We are all familiar with feelings of isolation, loneliness, hopelessness – being in the dark (1. As represented by the empty space at the bottom right corner of the afghan). If we reach out and/or ask for some help we realize there are opportunities reaching back (2. As represented by the black dangles at the bottom right of the afghan.) If we can embrace them, these opportunities can lift us out of the darkness. At first it may feel all mixed up, bits of chaos (3. As represented by the random colors above the black dangles.) When we begin to look at ourselves and engage in wellness, things begin to line up (4. As represented with the colors lining up on the afghan). [NOTE: These colors represent the 8 dimensions of wellness – Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Spiritual, Environmental, Financial, Occupational, and Social.] Things start lining up and low and behold, doors begin to open (5. As represented by the open corner at the top left of the afghan.)

This is a journey. Celebrate every step forward regardless of the size. Sometimes this can lead to backward steps. This is alright – it too, is part of YOUR journey. Discover your truth and rejoice in it. YOU ARE ENOUGH!

This project came at a time I really needed it. It kept me out of my darkness and gave me something very important to do. This experience lifted me up! 

I have an abundance of gratitude in my heart for this project. I am especially grateful for being included in this group of other creative souls – Mila, Miles, Kurt, and Dee. How lucky am I to be in a group of these amazing people! 

Thank you Chrysalis. Thank you Clubhouse. You have changed my life more than you can possibly imagine, thank you friends. 

May you too find the love in this afghan which lives in the big Chrysalis room for all to experience!

[NOTE: Black danglies are also a tribute to the “Fidget Generation” and all those who love to fidget.]

A Short Blog About My Heartfelt Appreciation for Chrysalis Clubhouse & Chrysalis

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Submitted by Brent West, Chrysalis Community member

I have been given so much from the work that staff here have done with and for me since 2016, when I first began utilizing Chrysalis’ services. My quality of life has changed for the better in significant ways in the last eight years.

I feel that I am and have been supported by so many of the staff here in important ways. I have developed more autonomy as a result. I know firsthand that one of the most difficult parts of struggling with mental illness and substance abuse is the potential loss of autonomy that one may tend to face when dealing with it. I know that mental illness can cause a person to have a diminished view of their hopes and dreams.

At Chrysalis, and within the Chrysalis Clubhouse, I am typically reminded of my strengths. People appreciate me here. That is huge.

Sometimes in my social network, outside of Chrysalis, my relationships aren’t nearly as healthy. But I learn through my recovery about boundaries. The beauty of boundaries in relationships is that I can ask for what I want in relationships, and I get to choose what to do when these requests aren’t met in my relationships. When people know my boundaries, they can better meet me where I am.

Remember this: It is always okay to ask people to treat you in the way you want to be treated.

NAMI Presentation Panel Interview with Cody

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Submitted by Shoua Lee, Clubhouse Staff, and Cody Vogel, Chrysalis Clubhouse colleague

The Clubhouse Wisconsin Coalition, made up of all five Clubhouses in Wisconsin, attended the NAMI Conference Apr. 26. Cody Vogel was one of the panelists who supported a table sharing about the Clubhouse Model. In this interview, he shares his Clubhouse experience with conference attendees. Kathy Ziegert, Clubhouse Supervisor, was the panel moderator. For information and resources about Clubhouse International, visit https://clubhouse-intl.org/

When did you find out about your Clubhouse, and how has it impacted your life?

It was at the beginning of 2020 when Kathy Ziegert had reached out and asked if I
wanted to be a part of Chrysalis very own Clubhouse and it didn’t take me very long to
accept. Being a founding member of the Chrysalis Clubhouse and from when it began
with 13 members and especially with when we started Covid had come and we weren’t
able to be an in person clubhouse for 6 months we didn’t hesitate to overcome this
obstacle and The Chrysalis Clubhouse has impacted my life so greatly as well as for
others. Chrysalis clubhouse allowed me to go further with my Cooking Skills, my
Communication with My Words and My Writings, My Physical Activity, My Work with
Technology, My Job Skills, My Bonds with Members and Staff, and most importantly it
Gave Me a Community. The Chrysalis Clubhouse helped me become the best version
of me. There were days that would be hard and other days where I was joyful and would
make none stop jokes and make people smile and knowing no matter if I was feeling
down or in higher spirits, having a good or bad day, that I was always welcome and
knowing I had support and if I needed it, I always had it within the Chrysalis Clubhouse
Community. The Chrysalis Clubhouse opened so many opportunities within so many
different realms of my life and the one thing it gave me the most was connection and
bond. Some connections and bonds that sparked out of the clubhouse and have
become some of my best friends. The Chrysalis Clubhouse has done so many
astonishing and bound breaking things for every member as well as the staff, and the
Chrysalis Clubhouse keeps growing. I know our Chrysalis Clubhouse community will
keep striving and reach so many more goals and accomplishments and we can’t do it
alone, “WE ARE ONE, NOT DIVIDED”.

Tell us a little about your experience with Clubhouse employment opportunities.

Within the year 2021 and 2022 I had a hard time finding a Job, so at some point The
Chrysalis Clubhouse had Grown to where we got a TE program and looking back I
remember talking to Kathy Ziegert about me becoming our Clubhouses first TE and I
was excited for me to finally get back in the WorkForce. I will say I was nervous going
into this but I had help from My Colleagues and Staff within Chrysalis Clubhouse to help
me. Personally, even though this was helping me get back into Working, I also wanted
to do it for The Chrysalis Clubhouse because I wanted to Represent our Clubhouse and
to show them that even somebody with Disability, that we are just as capable of
Working as anyone else. I was in The Chrysalis Clubhouse TE Program for many like 2
months and I really struggled and when I left the TE I honestly felt bad but The
Chrysalis Clubhouse Community Supported me and at some point in early 2023 I
started reapplying for jobs within Madison. On May 1st, 2023, I got an interview at
Buffalo Wild Wings and I got hired on the spot. When starting that job I had that same
nervousness from when I was in The Chrysalis Clubhouse TE Program but this time I
made it a different mindset and I honestly made it farther than before because of going
through that TE Program within The Chrysalis Clubhouse. It has been almost a year
since I was Hired at Buffalo Wild Wings and I still remain working there!!! I keep at my
job and I’ve made so much stride and improvement within my work. The Chrysalis
Clubhouse TE Program also showed that even despite not being quite ready, it didn’t
mean I failed, it helped me better prepare for my next Job, Which it Did. I am Living
Proof on what The Chrysalis Clubhouse Community has done within Job Goals and
Accomplishments.

What is one takeaway you want people to understand about the Clubhouse
model?

I want people to see, understand and realize what a Clubhouse Model does for
everyone and when I say that I mean The Members, The Staff, and The Clubhouse
Community as a whole. The Clubhouse Model is Here to Help all of that and each
person within a Clubhouse has something to offer, nobody is more valuable or important
than another. Every Clubhouse is important and in my opinion no Clubhouse is more
important, like even though a Clubhouse may be further within their Journey as a
Clubhouse, but every Clubhouse is Equal because we all are after similar goals. The
Clubhouse Model is Nation Wide and each Clubhouse Learns and Grows off each other
and a perfect example is the Clubhouse International meeting. Each Clubhouse has a
meaning to the Clubhouse Community as a whole and each Clubhouse has the
Clubhouse Model. The Clubhouse Community in my mind is the definition of support
and growth, which the Clubhouse model makes possible. We are the Clubhouse
Community and like I said before, “WE ARE ONE, NOT DIVIDED”.

VIDEO: RoRo’s Story

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Submitted by Roshanda “RoRo” Cochran, Chrysalis Clubhouse colleague

Meet RoRo! She feels inspired every day to get up and do things for herself to add quality back to her life. She feels that Chrysalis Clubhouse plays a big part in her journey. 

Opinion | Make long-term care for mental illness a reality

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By Adam Brabender, Chrysalis Clubhouse colleague

I was sad to hear of Rosalynn Carter’s recent passing. I knew she was an advocate for the mentally ill, but I wasn’t aware to what extent. Now we all know.

In 1966 she learned about terrible treatment in a psychiatric hospital. When Jimmy Carter became governor of Georgia, he created a state commission, based on her advice, to improve services for the mentally ill. As president he created the National Commission on Mental Health.

As the commission’s honorary chair, Rosalynn traveled the country to hear from experts and everyday citizens, then shared her findings with Congress. In 1980 this led to the passage of the Mental Health Systems Act, a revamp of federal policy, seeking to treat people with mental illness within their own communities. Though repealed in 1981 during Ronald Reagan’s first year, the act created a framework for future progress, leading to the act’s reinstatement in March 2010 with President Obama’s signing of the Affordable Care Act.

In 1987, the Carter Center in Plains, Georgia, funded the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers to support the “unique needs of those who selflessly care for family and friends who are mentally ill.” It built on Rosalynn’s belief that everyone is a “caregiver now, has been a caregiver, or will need a caregiver in the future.” For 46 years the institute has continued to give support to many unpaid caregivers, estimated to be over 53 million in the U.S. alone.

In 1991, she established a fellowship for journalists who covered mental illness. Years later she lobbied Congress to create a landmark law requiring insurers to provide equality in mental health coverage.

So her mental health advocacy legacy is clear. She should be commended for her efforts. How can we continue her work? Who of us is not affected by mental illness — ourselves, our family, our friends? I’m not ashamed to admit that I suffer with a mental illness as well as autism. Thankfully there are better drug treatments today for the mentally ill. But for those of us with a mental health diagnosis, there is still the terrible stigma to deal with every day. More still needs to be done.

A good start would be to reform Medicaid at the federal level so states can include people with mental illness in their long-term care programs, which help keep people out of institutions and nursing homes.

Now, every other disabled group — the medically fragile, the physically disabled, the developmentally disabled, the frail elderly — qualifies for long-term care, but not the mentally ill. Why?

The argument goes that they don’t need it because they get better with time. That is rare. Mental illness is a lifetime illness. It’s time for our two U.S. senators and eight congressional representatives to sponsor a bipartisan bill to make long-term care for people with mental illness a reality and to provide more support for their families and other selfless caregivers.

Adam Brabender is a social work major at UW-Whitewater and the Disability Caucus co-chair with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

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Published by The Cap Times on Dec. 17, 2023

A Day At the Chrysalis Clubhouse

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“Chrysalis Clubhouse provides mental health support by offering help in the form of social, educational, and career focused services for its members. It supports wellbeing through community to all its members who are known as colleagues. We hope to serve as a beacon of hope to the greater Madison community.”


My name is Erik and I am a Chrysalis Clubhouse member of 3 ½ years. I participate in the daily and weekly function of the clubhouse and support its members and staff in the work-ordered-day which includes social, educational and career-focussed activities.

Typically, I start out the day with leading full-body stretches and focusing onthe agenda including birthdays and anniversaries and what’s for lunch during the morning meeting at 9:00 am. From there, I participate in the preparation of lunch by helping cook and get everything ready for the noonday meal. Frequently, we take a walk through the community after lunch and then get down to meetings in the afternoon. I tend to finish the day by engaging in opportunities for social interaction and closing tasks.


I’ve come to expect Chrysalis’s expertise in dealing with people’s hardships regarding employment. We excel at backing up our members with good quality support throughout the work-ordered day. What Chrysalis means to me is providing a safe, stigma-free environment for members to come and be upheld in their mental health journey. Colleagues and members should anticipate aid for their recovery process and should rest assured that their issue(s) are addressed and being taken care of. Members and colleagues are encouraged to advocate for their own wellbeing and to ask for help if they need it.


As we progress through the work-ordered day we come to realize that the Clubhouse is a positive, reinforcing entity that provides a solid foundation for its members to thrive and flourish. Built on a model that includes everyone, the Chrysalis Clubhouse is an outlet for people to gain the reassurance and support they need in their daily lives. To conclude, I hope you’ve gotten an idea of what it’s like to be a part of the clubhouse workordered day and how we operate. I look forward to many happy days to come and hope you have a better understanding of how the clubhouse works as it continues to grow.

Erik Pettersen, Clubhouse Member

Take a break, its OK.

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Summertime, typically, marks the beginning of vacation time for most people.

For the majority of people, this is something they do each year and usually have a favorite place to visit and do so without any guilt or regret.

For others, it might be difficult to go on vacation or even give themselves permission to take a short break from work. Perhaps there is guilt attached to work responsibilities, or it is the financial aspect that scares them.Regret around spending money on a trip when they could have paid some bills or saved it for a rainy day. Not wanting to burden co-workers with your responsibilities, or making the people you work with go without service for a week or two. 

I am one of those who has had a hard time taking vacations or taking long vacations due to work and guilt. Even taking a day off or calling in sick is still a challenge for me. For most of my working life, I have put my head down and worked hard so my family did not have to go without. Often, that meant not going on vacations while the rest of the family did. Barely a day off unless I was seriously ill. Even then, I would still try to go to work.

Over the last few years, I have begun to give myself a break and take time for family vacations and not worry about the work aspect and the feelings that come with it. The work will be done and the business can operate without me no matter how important I think I am. 

By allowing myself to have the freedom from the guilt and stress related to “return to work” workload, I have been able to enjoy these vacations and I am finding that it is not as stressful as I once perceived it to be. And by “turning off” work for a week or two has been incredibly beneficial to my overall wellness. Taking a step away from the day-to-day operations, the people, and the environment is one of the best self-care practices one can have. Preventing burnout, and exhaustion are common in the social work field. We need to take care of ourselves so we can be there for others. 

Revitalize, rejuvenate, and relax so that you can come back and still enjoy the work you do. 

By Kurt Stapleton

Photo taken by Kurt Stapleton at Naples Beach, Fl 2023.

Tips for Utilizing Therapy

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By Andrew Lopez, CPS


I’ve been in therapy for a number of years and have had to figure a lot of things out in terms of maximizing my therapeutic services. I thought I’d share some of the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years about utilizing psychotherapy.

1: Ask about the different modalities of therapy. A lot of people don’t know that there are many modes of therapy that include things like cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, EMDR, somatic therapy, equine therapy, and many more.they all have strengths and weaknesses and fit better for some than others. Most therapists are trained in more than one modality and can talk to you about the differences between them. It’s a good idea to talk with your therapist about the types they are trained on as well as once they aren’t in case you need to change to a different therapist. Some forms of therapy work well with certain symptoms such as trauma based therapies and you ultimately have to do a little bit of trial and error to find out what works for you. You can have this conversation about different modalities with a case manager or service facilitator if you have one.

2: Ask for direct feedback. Many therapists will focus on listening while you’re talking about your difficulties and many will hesitate to give direct feedback until invited. It’s a good idea if you’re seeking direct advice or feedback to ask the therapist directly for this. I’ll often ask my own therapist “do you think this is healthy” or “what do you recommend that I do to help with this?”. This not only gives the therapist time to respond but indicates that you are strongly seeking feedback and not just listening. Most therapists will be very direct if you ask them to be.

3: Focus the conversation and direction of goals.  Sometimes a therapist will ask questions to begin the conversation and get you talking about important topics. However ultimately it’s up to you to decide how to utilize her therapy services. If you feel like talking about a certain subject is more important than others you have every right to tell the therapist that you want to work on that goal over others. You can say things like “I’d like to work on this today” and redirect them from other conversations if you want to. A good therapist won’t mind this and will try to meet your needs wherever they may be at. A therapist may suggest working on one subject or goal. But you can set what goals are a priority for you. I sometimes will talk with my therapist about what goals I want to specifically work on.

4: Tell the therapist about difficult areas of conversation.  Sometimes the therapist will press questions in an area because they want to assist you and work on that area. It’s okay for you to have a conversation with the therapist ahead of time letting them know that there are certain topics which are likely to trigger you. It is a good idea for you and the therapist to have a plan on what to do when triggered. Most therapists will discuss this at the beginning of therapy service if the therapy is trauma focused.  Whatever therapy services you are utilizing it’s a good idea to have this conversation with the therapist to let them know what your wishes are if you get into a situation where you feel triggered and unsafe.  There are many options here and your therapist can discuss things like doing grounding activities, redirecting conversation or ending a session early.

5: Ask the therapist for “homework”.  There are many hours in the week and usually you’re just in therapy for one of those hours. Most of us want to work on our recovery for more than just the time we are there sitting in therapy services. One way of maximizing your therapy services is to ask your therapist for activities to engage in our projects to work on in between therapy sessions.if you’re working on a particular symptom you can ask the therapist “how can I work on my own on this goal to address the symptom?” Oftentimes the therapist has a good idea of something’s free to try in small and/or large steps to work on your goals. An example of this was one therapist of mine recommended that I find a volunteer position to aid with my social and self-confidence goals.  This was something I could work on on my own and allowed me to maximize the time that I’m spending with the therapist on other things. The therapist can, if you want to, then check in with your progress on your homework and offer feedback and/or suggestions. This is completely optional but many people find it very helpful.


Obviously there are many many ways of utilizing therapy and you have to find what works well for you. These are just some options to explore and not direct advice or recommendations. I hope that each of you that utilizes psychotherapy finds a way that works for you.

Andrew Lopez is a Peer Support staff member at Chrysalis