PeerTAC Peer Support Services Technical Assistance Center

Ina Concepcion, FDC, FPAC, PEP, is the Alliance Coordinator for Family & Youth Peer Support Queens Alliance at Vibrant Emotional Health. Her work centers on advocacy and educating families and youth about the different child serving systems within their communities. 

Ina has worked within the Social Services field for over 15 years and specializes in helping parents and caregivers of children who have or are at risk of developmental, emotional, and behavioral challenges. She also presently serves on the Department of Education Executive Board of Parent / Teachers Association of NYC as Secretary and is on the School Leadership Team.

Rebecca Evansky, Executive Director of the Wellness Collaborative of New York is supporting the growth of peer support services through an Independent Practice Association comprised of twelve peer-led provider organizations, spanning New York State. She has been instrumental in advancing the collaborative foundation to ensure quality and authenticity of peer support services and the shift towards sustainable value-based contracting. 

Prior to this project, she was responsible for overseeing initiatives focused on treatment and prevention of substance use disorders, working to strengthen infrastructure across systems and cultivate strong partnerships across the region as part of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program at the Adirondack Health Institute. Her professional career has been dedicated to behavioral health and wellness initiatives. 

Known as a compassionate advocate for special victims, Rebecca has been providing direct client services for over 15 years, including legal and medical advocacy and continues dedicated service as a volunteer to her local domestic violence hotline. Rebecca is a skilled presenter in trauma informed practices, health and wellness planning, collaborative partnerships and strategic planning.

Cameron Farash, LMSW, Divisional Director has more than twenty years of experience working within various behavioral health and peer support settings. Cameron’s experience includes working in residential and clinical settings as well as providing supervisory oversight. Cameron has been public about his lived experience with mental health recovery. He specializes in peer implementation and supervision and has been recognized on a statewide level as a peer expert. 

Cameron currently oversees LRI’s Recovery Support Navigator Program, where he has overseen development and ongoing program evaluation and improvement, as well as administration and day-to-day operation of the Peer Engagement Specialist, Family Support Specialist and Homeless Partnership program, Forensic Intervention Peer program and Liberty’s four Peer Run Crisis Respites in Central New York. Cameron has also been on the Board of Directors for NYAPRS and the Finger Lakes Regional Coordinator since 2021. Dedicated to the Peer model, Cameron provides technical assistance across the agency to ensure fidelity to peer values. 

In 2008, Cameron received his master’s degree in social work from the Greater Rochester Masters of Social Work Program of SUNY Brockport and Nazareth College.

Nivea Jackson, M.S is currently the Youth Peer Advocacy Coordinator at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. As the Youth Peer Advocacy Coordinator, Nivea strategically develops ways to expand the Youth Peer Advocacy workforce while supporting and advancing the Youth Peer Advocates in the Bureau of Children, Youth, and Families.

A former foster care youth, Nivea grew a passion to help youth and young adults involved in multiple child-serving systems utilizing her lived expertise. Despite Nivea’s adversities in foster care, she remains positive, determined, and dedicated to helping youth and young adults in cross-systems by giving them the tools they need to succeed and thrive. In addition to Ms. Jackson’s lived experience, she is a proud graduate of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. Nivea continued her education and graduated with her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Long Island University Brooklyn Campus. Presently, Ms. Jackson is pursuing her PhD in Human Services Leadership and Organizational Management.

Currently the Program Director of the Recovery Network and Peer Training for MHA-Westchester, Dwayne Mayes has worked in the Mental Health Peer service sector since 1998. Formerly the Director of Howie the Harp Advocacy Center, Dwayne Mayes has climbed from “the bottom of the totem pole” to achieve tremendous success both personally and professionally and is absolute proof that recovery is real.

Dwayne has presented his ideas of Recovery based Integrated Treatment internationally, as a participant in the MeetTheXperts Symposiums in the Netherlands in 2013 and 2014, and is a recipient of the 2008 Robin Hood Foundation Heroes Award.

Dwayne’s previous experience was with the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Institute for Worker Education for the CUNY Youth Transition Demonstration Project. Dwayne was the Senior Benefits Advisor for the project and collaborated with the SSA Regional Office, NY District Office, local Bronx County Field Offices, along with national and statewide agencies. He was a leader on the team directing the Social Security Administration’s New York WORKS research project where he provided benefits counseling, caseload review and liaising with community partners, including VESID, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, OMH, Health and Hospital’s Corporation, and other state and national agencies involved in Mental Health Advocacy.

Cassandra “Cadi” Morse (she/her) has been employed with AspireHope NY, Inc (AHNY) for over 18 years as the Teen Services, Payroll, and Billing Coordinator. Cadi has utilized her own lived experience to assist in developing and implementing youth programming. She is also a parent of children with medical and mental health needs.

Cadi was a founding member of the NYS Youth Peer Services Advisory Council that oversees the YPA State Credential, a trainer for Partnering for Safety and QPR: Suicide Prevention Training, and a trainer for the NYS Youth Peer Advocate Training through Families Together in NYS (FTNYS) and was the 1st Western Region Youth Partner of FTNYS. Cadi received the ‘What’s Great in Our State’ Steuben County ‘Champion of Youth’ award in 2017.

Cad believes in the grass roots Youth, Family, and Adult Peer movements and the importance of continuing to share her knowledge and experience with those are currently or in the future will be providing peer support.

Jeremy has more than 20 years of experience working to support and empower people facing societal and systemic injustice, including those diagnosed with mental health conditions.  An advocate of peer-informed services, Jeremy approaches his work from a peer-professional viewpoint.

Jeremy is currently the Program Coordinator for the Yonkers Mobile Crisis Response Team at People USA.  Additionally, he currently serves as the Co-President of the Board of Directors for the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) and as a member of the Advisory Board for the Master of Social Work program at Utica University. Jeremy presents regularly at conferences and training events regionally and nationally and earned his MSW from the Hunter College School of Social Work; he holds a New York State license as a Clinical Social Worker and is a New York Certified Peer Specialist.

Skip, as she prefers to be called has been working in Peer Support since her final release from years of multiple incarceration and systems involvement in 2007. She has transitioned out of the Senior Manager of Peer Services position at the New York City Criminal Justice Agency, where she was intentional in creating space for individuals with lived experiences, to her new journey as Executive Director of the NYC Justice Peer Initiative which began in late March 2022. 

Skip is a Consultant at Urban Institute where she sits on several research initiatives representing community voices and lived experiences. The inaugural Executive Chair of the NYC Peer Workforce Coalition and an executive leadership team member of the NYC Justice Peer Initiative, Skip is the first Peer Supervisor employed by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene which was documented in her role in the groundbreaking – media acclaimed Friendship Benches NYC.

A Beyond-the Bars 20/21 Fellow, she is also a Columbia University Justice-in-Education scholar and attended St. Francis College where she is the first Justice Initiatives program participant to be invited to join the Honor classes.  

She lives by her mantra – “I’ve been around the block a time or two on my tricycle and use those lived experiences to color my world while assisting, supporting, advocating, and navigating for those still caught up in the oppressive and broken Criminal Justice System!”

Sara’s 20+ year career, across multiple industries, range from direct-care front-line social worker to senior-level administrator. Sara has extensive experience providing leadership development training and capacity building services to organizations as well as managing professional conferences throughout North America. Over the last three years, Sara has become a sought-out speaker and well-respected leader promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion across systems while reminding organizational leaders and allies that “Everyone has a role”.  

Sara’s entire career has focused on empowering and motivating vulnerable populations including individuals with disabilities, homeless and low-income populations who often face barriers related to obtaining employment and career advancement.  Sara’s influence and credibility are also seen in her work as a community leader working on boards, with policy makers, philanthropist and other stakeholders who are collectively dedicated to improving outcomes for vulnerable populations and advancing Racial Equity strategies. Sara is the founder and visionary of the Upstate, NY Women of Color Summit and the BIPOC PEEEEEEK Parent Mental Health Project.