Grant and Project Coordinator
Pennsylvania Peer Support Coalition
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Keith R. Elders, MPA, CPS, CRS, CCHW works for the Pennsylvania Peer Support Coalition (PaPSC) as their Grant and Project Coordinator. Prior to taking on this role at PaPSC, Keith worked for the Alternative Community Resource Program where he served as Director/Mental Health Professional of Peer & Recovery Support Services. In this role he was responsible for starting their Youth and Young Adult Peer Support programs in Bedford, Blair, and Somerset Counties, as well as their Recovery Support program in Cambria County. In addition, Keith has enhanced certifications in Forensic Peer Support through PMHCA and Drexel University, CPS in Crisis Services, as well as Older Adult Peer Support and holds CRS and CPS Supervisor credentials. His unique lived experience as a youth and young adult with behavioral health conditions is what led him to pursue a career in this field and, since beginning this work, has truly found his passion for helping others in peer-to-peer settings. Through his diligent work ethic, and application of peer-based principles in his own life, he went on to complete his bachelors degree at the University of Wisconsin-Stout where he was awarded ‘Student of the Year’ in the Human Development and Family Studies program in 2018 and his Masters of Public Administration at Villanova University in 2021. Additionally, Keith was responsible for conducting weekly Seminar I WRAP® groups within the Transitional Housing Unit (THU) at SCI Laurel Highlands where he introduced justice involved males, who were within one year of release, to WRAP® and what it has done for him personally, as well as the potential that it holds in their lives. While at PaPSC, Keith has led the charge in developing an Ethics training to help Peer Based Professionals better understand their Codes of Ethics through the Pennsylvania Certification Board, an LGBTQ+ training designed specifically for Peer Based Professionals, and, in coordination with his teammates and partners, was responsible for writing and obtaining the $2 million "Building a Peer Support Workforce in PA" grant through the Appalachian Regional Commission where a portion of the project is focused solely on workforce leadership and engagement via their Recovery Ecosystem Coalitions (REC's). Keith strives to continue to empower the individuals he works with and support them in their life goals through the embodiment of peer-based principles, both through the projects he’s played a part in developing, and in every area of his own personal recovery journey.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
