PeerGalaxy Timeline

January 24, 2020
January 24, 2020

Peer Telehealth Championed

Peer Telehealth was championed as the top priority recommendation for Oregon Health Authority by the Oregon Consumer Advisory Council's Tools, Technology and Access Committee.  Extensive cumulative research and discussions with leaders in the field led up to a Policy Option Package proposal for Oregon leaders to consider in the Biennial Budget for July 2021 through June 2023.  In the Summer of 2019, Medicare expansion afforded peer telehealth for persons with co-occurring mental health and substance use.  Work was still needed for Medicaid and Medicare coverage, workforce development, best practices guidelines, etc.

wordart for peer telehealth
March 17, 2020
March 17, 2020

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak >>> PeerGalaxy Calendar & Resource Page Kickoff

Early March, reports of the pandemic spreading in the USA continued. 

PeerGalaxy Calendar with telephone and online virtual peer support offerings was launched.  On March 17, 2019 the first online event added was the series of daily check-ins 8am Monday-Friday with Mary Jadwisiak / Holding the Hope.  Many other offerings followed.

On March 23rd, 2020 Oregon's Governor issued an Executive Order for Shelter-in-Place.  A few days later the PeerGalaxy Coronavirus / COVID-19 Specific Resources page is launched.
March 25, 2020
March 25, 2020

OPT-IN Establshed

The pandemic accelerated rapid adoption of telehealth out of necessity regardless of payer or provider type.  Kevin Fitts, Laura Rose, and other Oregon advocates championed Peer Telehealth with legislators and health officials as a vital resource. 

Laura Rose established Oregon Peer Telehealth Information Network (OPT-IN) as an email list and Facebook Group to share timely information on telehealth including funding announcements, policy and rule changes, technology platforms, webinars, and other relevant items for peer run organizations, peer supporters, champions and allies.   
April 4, 2020
April 4, 2020

PeerGalaxy's Pandemic Response Proposal

A 90-Day Pandemic Response Proposal was prepared and submitted to expand and promote PeerGalaxy with the help of community partners and volunteers.  Awarded May 1st, 2020.
April 15, 2020
April 15, 2020

Pivoting Large Events

Large gatherings were prohibited to limit contagion.  Peerpocalypse was postponed until July.  Meanwhile the long-awaited 2020 Telehealth Conference scheduled in Portland organized by NRTRC (the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center) and TAO (the Telehealth Alliance of Oregon) pivoted to a free online virtual conference with over 1,000 attendees from over 43 states.  NRTRC Friday meetings offering insights, guidance and resources on telehealth continued.
May 1, 2020
May 1, 2020

PeerGalaxy announced in Portland NBC Affiliate KGW 8 News Story Interview and Article

Kevin Fitts, Executive Director of OMHCA (Oregon Mental Health Consumer Associaton) and Janie Gullickson, Executive Director of MHAAO (Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon) shared about PeerGalaxy in an interview with KGW as part of the news story: 'People are struggling': Oregon mental health groups make call to action during COVID-19 by Galen Ettlin.

June 3, 2020
June 3, 2020

PeerGalaxy Tour and Presentation

Laura Rose & Kevin Fitts presented a Virtual Tour of PeerGalaxy and Interactive Discussion on the Future of Peer Telehealth at Rethinking Psychiatry.

Watch online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv-b5MNxA64

June 15, 2020
June 15, 2020

PeerGalaxy Offerings Shared Widely by Peers

National, state and local organizations and peers are spreading the word about PeerGalaxy both online and offline, word of mouth. 

PeerGalaxy.com had 160,000+ shares, 180,000+ page views, 18,000+ visitors, and over a quarter-million hits.

Special thanks to: INAPS (National Association of Peer Support), NEC (National Empowerment Center), Surviving Spirit Newsletter, OCA (Office of Consumer Activities), OMHCA (Oregon Mental Health Consumer Association), MHAAO (Mental Health and Addictions Association of Oregon), FolkTime, TIO (Trauma Informed Oregon), ROCC (Recovery Outreach Community Center) and others helping this resource get noticed!

PeerGalaxy in TIO Newsletter:

https://traumainformedoregon.org/an-incredible-galaxy-of-online-peer-support-offerings/

July 21, 2020
July 21, 2020

PeerPocalypse 2020

Is Peer Telehealth Here to Stay? Yes, yes, if we have our say! 

Kevin Fitts & Laura Rose

PeerGalaxy and the Future of Peer Telehealth in Oregon was the topic of our interactive discussion at the 1st virtual Peerpocalypse conference in history!

Great turnout and lots of praise for the
PeerGalaxy Calendar, Website and Workshop 

Thank you for your support!

Downloads

animation

Slideshow (PDF)
Bingo Trivia Card (PDF)
Bingo Trivia Answer Key (PDF)

August 1, 2020
August 1, 2020

PeerGalaxy Enters Phase II

PeerGalaxy Calendar 2.1 Beta
now available in the testing phase!

Now exceeding 8,000 peer support, recovery and wellness offerings each month - the rich menu continues to expand weekly!

Now visitors have more ways to search, find, add, and view events!  New categories, topics, and filters!  Custom feeds for your calendar.  More to come.

Links:

A Brief Tour on New Features

Event Categories Explained

September 7, 2020
September 7, 2020

PeerGalaxy Facilitates Wildfire Response from Peer Run Organizations

Labor Day 2020 (September 7th) brought a  historic wind event (75mph) sparking dry vegetation and accelerating multiple wildfires across Oregon.

color image, satellite, wind and fire

The toll was high. 

  • Tens of thousands of people had to suddenly evacuate their homes for safety. 
  • Over 4,000 Oregonians lost their homes. 
  • Entire communities were leveled to the ground. 
  • Over 1 Million acres burned. 
  • 9 lives were tragically lost. 

The skies were eery orange from the smoke for days and the resulting air pollution was hazardous, reportedly the worst on record.  Unfortunately, some pharmacies ran out of inhalers, masks and other critical medical supplies.  Brave firefighters and volunteers came to assist, some beyond Oregon's borders.  Shelters were quickly set-up.

color photo

Learn more by visiting this link:

Oregon Wildfire Spotlight

OHA (Oregon Health Authority) leadership reached out to PeerGalaxy leadership who reached out Oregon peer run organizations for quick thought partnership, input and coordination on addressing peer support and other needs for people affected by the wildfires. In great collaboration, resources were quickly identified and shared through social media, the PeerGalaxy Calendar, food box flyers, and more. 

We are thankful to all who answer the call and step up with support for Oregonians.

The State of Oregon offers additional resources and information at this link:

Wildfires.Oregon.Gov

September 30, 2020
September 30, 2020

PeerGalaxy shared in KOIN News Special Report

Janie Marsh, Executive Director of MHAAO (Mental Health & Addictions Association of Oregon) shared about PeerGalaxy in a KOIN 6 Special News Report: Oregon Wildfires Hinder Addiction, Mental Health Recovery.

Read KOIN 6 Special News Report

December 30, 2020
December 30, 2020

PeerGalaxy launches Year-End Survey

On December 30th, 2020 our PeerGalaxy Survey Team launched the

PeerGalaxy Year-End Survey

PeerGalaxy Year-End Survey Letter

Please take a few moments to complete this online survey.  If you have questions, you can email surveyteam 'at' peergalaxy 'dot' com.

Results will be reported-out in aggregate summary

without identifying information. 

* * *

In January 2021 we will be scheduling a special event:

PeerGalaxy Visioning & Planning Discussion with Stakeholders 

(Details forthcoming)

* * *

In the meantime, you can check this out:

PeerGalaxy Vision Sketch *DRAFT* 

* * *

2020 Web Traffic Statistics

Over 110 Thousand Visits

Over 670 Thousand Page Views

Over 1.5 Million Hits

 

Thank you to all who made this possible!

 

March 3, 2021
March 3, 2021

PeerGalaxy shared on KBOO Radio

Kevin Fitts, Oregon Mental Health Consumers Association, and and Janie Gullickson, Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon, by Paul Roland on KBOO aired at 8am PST on March 3, 2021 during which they shared about the PeerGalaxy Calendar and website (@ -31 min 40 sec).

New approaches to People in Mental-Emotional Crisis

with

Kevin Fitts and Janie Gullickson

discussing

Peer Respite (HB2980) and

Portland Street Response Pilot Project

poster

KBOO Radio Show Link

Download MP3

March 7, 2021
March 7, 2021

PeerGalaxy Web Traffic Milestone

PeerGalaxy.com

Exceeded 2 Million Hits!

Over 620 Thousand Page Views

Over 180 Thousand Visitors

Average ~7 Minutes Visit Duration

𝄞 Song Link:

2 Million Hits on PeerGalaxy

May 5, 2021
May 5, 2021

PeerGalaxy @ Peerpocalypse 2021

Our team presented on PeerGalaxy to the Peerpocalypse 2021 conference attendees.

Workshop Slideshow:

PeerGalaxy: Far Out, Close to Home

in the Midst of Climate Crisis, Pandemics, and Other Disasters:

Peer Support, Prevention, Resilience

slideshow cover image

𝄞 Song Link:

2 Million Hits on PeerGalaxy

photo

June 30, 2021
June 30, 2021

Extreme Heat > Cooling Centers

The Pacific Northwest experienced a 1-in-1000 years heat dome with extreme high temperatures, reaching 118 degrees Fahrenheit in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  PeerGalaxy Calendar featured URGENT posts to share timely information on cooling centers, transportation, air quality and other resources. 

Flexible funds for air conditioners, air filters, and energy assistance were available to many as well.  PeerGalaxy actively promoted such resources on the web-based calendar, social media channels, and other opportunities.

heat map 
October 2021
October 2021

Web Traffic Milestone

PeerGalaxy.com

Exceeded 3.5 Million Hits!

Over 1.3 Million Page Views

Over 1 Quarter Million Visitors

Average ~6 Minutes Visit Duration

~ ~ ~

Over 50 Thousand Monthly Offerings of Peer Support, Recovery and Wellness Activities, Warmlines, Special Events and Consumer Input Opportunities.
October 14, 2021
October 14, 2021

PeerGalaxy interfaces with Painted Brain

A timely meeting between the visionaries of PeerGalaxy and Painted Brain fuels exploration of next-gen intersections and possibilities to enrich offerings.
March 14, 2022
March 14, 2022

Presentation at Peerpocalypse 2022

On the evening of Π pi day 3.14 2022, first night of the 10th annual Peerpocalypse Conference returning to Seaside, Oregon PeerGalaxy unveiled upcoming offerings to accelerate peer advocacy and online community meetings, hosting an open discussion for future directions with PeerGalaxy.

4.5 Million Hits and Counting!

Over 82,000 FREE Monthly Offerings!

Let’s Take a Voyage Together through Space and Time,
a Meeting of our Hearts and Minds,
Peer Superstars Sharing Visions and Vibes, Shifting the Tides,
Interdimensional Intersectional Conversations.
Come Along for the Ride!
We’re Unveiling New Tools,
We have much to Decide.
Destinies and Journeys too Great to Deny!

VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENT LINK

https://youtu.be/ns3S5YJYAas

video screenshot announcing presentation 3/14/2022

July 24, 2022
July 24, 2022

Another Web Traffic Milestone

PeerGalaxy.com

Exceeded 5.5 Million Hits!

Over 2 Million Page Views

& Almost 1 Half Million Visits

~ ~ ~

PeerGalaxy Calendar now features

Over 99 Thousand Monthly Offerings of FREE Peer Support, Recovery and Wellness Activities plus  Warmlines, Special Events and Consumer Input Opportunities.
August 1, 2022
August 1, 2022

PeerGalaxy Tour of Virtual Tours

Our PeerGalaxy superstar volunteers mapped over 150+ Virtual Tours as part of our wellness activities offerings.  Each month will have a different theme and events will be shared on the PeerGalaxy Facebook page.
September 5, 2022
September 5, 2022

PeerGalaxy 988 Cards on the Scene

PeerGalaxy 988 Cards arrived from the printer, picked up by our PeerGalaxy Champions to distribute at this year's annual Hands Across the Bridge events for National Recovery Month starting this Monday, Labor Day 2022. 

PEERGALAXY 988 CARD LINK

PeerGalaxy.com/988card/

PeerGalaxy 988 Card with text affirmations on star background 

Scanning the QR Code on the front of these cards takes people to our webpage featuring 30+ warmlines, helplines, chatlines, and more, in addition to 988 including but not limited to:

  • * Culturally specific
  • * Language specific
  • * ASL (American Sign Language) specific
  • * Topic, Need, Circumstance or Situation specific

~ ~ ~

HANDS ACROSS THE BRIDGE - WEBSITE LINK:

HandsAcrossTheBridge.org

HANDS ACROSS THE BRIDGE - FB LINK:

Facebook.com/handsproject/

Hands Across the Bridge - Flyer from 2016

~ ~ ~

ROCC SALEM HATB Website Link:

ROCCSalem.org/hands-across-the-bridge

Friday September 9th 2022

Color Photo Table

March 22-26, 2023
March 22-26, 2023

KATU 2 News Crew Interviews PeerGalaxy Team

KATU Channel 2 News from Portland, Oregon learned about PeerGalaxy in the context of a news story on a pending legislative bill, Senate Bill SB432, championed by Kevin Fitts (OMHCA) for consumer technical assistance. 

KATU asked to meet up with our PeerGalaxy Dream Team for an interview in Salem. 

KATU Cover

Wesleigh Ogle, KATU News anchor, and Mike the cameraman showed up to document the individual and collective stories of our beloved champions, supporters, and volunteers from the community near and far.

Color Photo PG & KATU Crew

Video and Story Link:

https://katu.com/features/sinclair-cares/peergalaxycom-opens-universe-of-mental-health-support#Color Photo Screenshot

The PeerGalaxy segment aired during live broadcasts @ 4pm PST on Friday March 24th, 2023 during KATU 4pm News Hour lineup and again @ 7:15 and 8:15am on Sunday, March 26th.

 

 

April 28, 2023
April 28, 2023

Presentation with LGAC

Presented to LGAC (Local Government Advisory Council) with Oregon's County Commissioners, State Leaders, Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and Association of Oregon County Mental Health Programs (AOCMHP).  Shared 988 Cards, Stickers and Updates.

As of April 2023

PeerGalaxy

exceeded

Over 8.1 Million Hits

Over 3 Million Pages Viewed

Over 700 Thousand Visits

Over 2 Million est. Impressions

Over 3 Thousand Links

New Online Groups @ HeyPeers

Time for our next celebration song!!

Thank you for the shares & cares!!
May 7th-11th, 2023
May 7th-11th, 2023

Booth 23 @ 2023 Peerpocalypse 10th Anniversary

Appreciated seeing so many peers at this incredible event!!

* * * * *
Thank goodness it's hybrid because they SOLD OUT but VIRTUAL SEATS kept it available.

Color Photo Swag Bag

 

Magically Memorable

 

 
September 8, 2023
September 8, 2023

Booth @ 2023 Hands Across The Bridge (HATB) 8th Anniversary

Organized by ROCC Salem (Recovery Outreach Community Center) since 2015, this event brings people together to share stories, songs, and signs about addictions and mental health, hope and recovery. 

Color Photo of PeerGalaxy Booth and Guests 9/8/2023

* * * * *

Milestones for

PEERGALAXY.COM

>  Over 16,000 Visits in the First Week of September

>  2023-2025 Funding Announced

>  English & Spanish Cards for Mobile Response arrived!

 
October 10, 2023
October 10, 2023

PEERGALAXY passes 10 Million Hits!

On this day, PeerGalaxy passed

10 Million Hits! 

October 19 2023
October 19 2023

PeerGalaxy @ 9th Annual Global Peer Support Celebration Day 2023

In a Call to Action, PeerGalaxy invited Oregon Employers of Peer Supporters to share Kind Words of Appreciation and/or Inspiration for the Oregon Peer Workforce (including volunteers and paid individuals offering peer support for youth/young adults, family and/or adults) for the

9th Anniversary of NAPS

(National Association of Peer Supporters)

Global Peer Support Celebration Day 2023. 

~ ~ ~

Kind Words of Appreciation shared by:

The Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO)

Dual Diagnosis Anonymous (DDA)

Iron Tribe Network (ITN)

Jackson Care Connect (JCC)

Oregon Peer Warmline

Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN)

Oregon Family to Family Health Information Center (ORF2FHIC)

L-APS, Inc.

ProjectABLE

Providence Behavioral Health 
Better Outcomes thru Bridges (BOB)
 

Bay Area First Step (BAFS) 

GOBHI (Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc.)

Willow Tree Case Management

PathFinders Network

Oregon Family Workforce Association (ORFWA)

PeerGalaxy

November 6-8, 2023
November 6-8, 2023

PEERGALAXY @ 2023 Oregon Suicide Prevention Conference

The 2023 OSPC Conference was held in Hood River amidst majestic fall colors along the Columbia Gorge with speakers and attendees near and far.  This year's event had a focus on older adults and cultural responsiveness.  We shared about PeerGalaxy with new networks across Oregon and beyond.

December 2023
December 2023

PEERGALAXY > 1 MILLION VISITS!

PeerGalaxy new milestone:

Over 1 Million VISITS

plus

Over 5 Million PAGES VIEWED

Over 10 Million HITS

Over 128 Thousand OFFERINGS

Over 1 Thousand EXPERIENCES

 Over 5 Million IMPRESSIONS

Let's Keep Sharing!

 
January 2024
January 2024

PEERGALAXY has more in store for 2024! Let's Grow Together!

Color Graphic, More in Store for 2024

PEERGALAXY continues adding Offerings on HeyPeers.com:

[Updated 05/2024:  Average Rating 5 out of 5 Stars (n=287).  Approx. 1,100 points of contact (attendance) in 135 meetings.]

* Wintering

* Springing

* Wellness Buddies for Recovery & Lifelong Planning

* Creative Writing

* Loving Heart

* A Spot of Spirituality for Recovery

* Kitchen Empowerment Hour

* Discover Felt Sense of Safety

* Peer Resilience, Recovery and ReConnection

* Voices & Visions (NEW)

* Veterans & First Responders (NEW)

* LGBTQIA2S+ (NEW)

* Reset Wednesdays (NEW)

* Fearless Fridays (NEW)

* Adult Coloring (NEW)

* NeuroConnect (NEW)

plus

Special Events LIVE via ZOOM

plus

Ongoing Outreach
April to May 2024
April to May 2024

PeerGalaxy's Reach Accelerates

Web Traffic for PeerGalaxy.com

13.5 Million Hits

5.9 Million Page Views

1.25 Million Visits

3,000 Visits per Day

Millions of Impressions

Doubled from 550K to 1.1M Hits in the month of April 2024 alone, an increase of 100% from the prior month of March 2024

 

PeerGalaxy also reached 1K Likes on Facebook

Latest count of FREE monthly offerings of online and/or telephone accessible peer support, recovery and wellness activities exceeds 187,600.

Another round of PeerGalaxy Outreach Resource Kits for Peer Supporters & Mobile Crisis Response Teams shipped.

text and logo

~ Thanks to Our Team , Our Visitors and Our Visionary Supporters ~

 

May 5-9, 2024
May 5-9, 2024

PeerGalaxy @ Peerpocalypse 2024

We had so much to celebrate with the Peer Movement at 11th Annual Conference - Peerpocalypse 2024 - hosted by MHAAO in Seaside Oregon.

So many awesome (re)connections!!  Across the nation and beyond!!

We gave away swag and had great conversations with many at our table staffed by PeerGalaxy Superstar Champions.

In a pre-conference session hosted by PeerNetworks and Kevin Fitts, we presented on Peer Support in the Era of AI & Robotics, discussing ethics, governance and more. In another session we shared about not-for-profit management.

~ Immense Gratitude ~

 
Infinity
Infinity

PeerGalaxy's Foreseeable Future

Stay tuned for updates.

We welcome your
ideas, feedback and support!

Please share!

History is made by those who show up!