IL NET an ILRU/NCIL National Training and Technical Assistance Project Expanding the Power of the Independent Living Movement INNOVATIVE IL PROGRAMS: MENTAL HEALTH PEER PROJECT A National Teleconference Participant's Manual January 23, 2002 Contributors to the training materials: Mary Ann Jones Judith Holtz Andrea Pulcini Penny Mehra Carri George Richard Petty Dawn Heinsohn Kristy Langbehn Darrell Lynn Jones Raweewan Buppapong (c) 2002 IL NET, an ILRU/NCIL Training and Technical Assistance Project ILRU Program NCIL 2323 S. Shepherd Street 1916 Wilson Boulevard Suite 1000 Suite 209 Houston, Texas 77019 Arlington, Virginia 22201 713-520-0232 (V) 703-525-3406 (V) 713-520-5136 (TTY) 703-525-4153 (TTY) 713-520-5785 (FAX) 703-525-3409 (FAX) ilru@ilru.org 1-877-525-3400 (V/TTY - toll free) http://www.ilru.org ncil@ncil.org http://www.ncil.org Permission is granted for duplication of any portion of this manual, providing that the following credit is given to the project: Developed as part of the IL NET: an ILRU/NCIL National Training and Technical Assistance Project. IL NET is funded through a special provisions cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Agreement No. H132B99002. Innovative IL Programs: Mental Health Peer Project A National Teleconference January 23, 2002 AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introduction 2. History of the Program - Mary Ann Jones * Groundwork Laid Which Made it Possible * Funding: Timing and Opportunity * Relationship to IL Mission * PR, Recruitment and Follow-up Overview 3. Q & A 4. The Program - Judith Holtz & Penny Mehra * Recruitment of Participants * Recruitment of Agencies * Host Agency Point of View * Course Content 5. Q&A 6. A Program Participant's Point of View - Andrea Pulcini 7. Q & A 8. What Are the Measures of Success? - Judith Holtz & Penny Mehra 9. Q & A 10. Wrap-up About the Trainers Judith Holtz is the Peer Support Employment Project Coordinator at the Westside Center for Independent Living (WCIL) in Los Angeles and has been employed there for 2 1/2 years. She has extensive experience with the mental health system, both as a service provider and as a consumer. Mary Ann Jones is the Executive Director of WCIL, where she has been employed for the last 10 years. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology and mass communications with an emphasis in public relations. For more than 30 years she has worked and volunteered for several non-profit organizations, most of which have been directly linked to disability-related issues and the independent living movement. Penny Mehra has been the Executive Director of the Alcott Center for Mental Health Services in Los Angeles for the past 14 years. The Alcott Center is one of the host agencies in the community for the Peer Project and they have hired two graduates of the program. Penny chairs the Westside Mental Health Network which is made up of community mental health services providers, consumers and family members for information sharing and mutual support. Andrea Pulcini graduated from the Peer Support (Employment) Project September of 2001 and went on to intern at Westside Center for Independent Living working in the Client Assistant Program (CAP) as a CAP Advocate. After her internship, WCIL hired her for the CAP Advocate position part-time in January 2001. She now works full-time in the position of Assistive Technology Services Coordinator. Trainers Judith Holtz Peer Support Project Coordinator Westside Center for Independent Living 12901 Venice Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90066 Voice: 310-390-3611 TTY: 310-398-9204 Fax: 310-390-4906 E-mail: judith@wcil.org Mary Ann Jones Executive Director Westside Center for Independent Living 12901 Venice Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90066 Voice: 310-390-3611 TTY: 310-398-9204 Fax: 310-390-4906 E-mail: maryann@wcil.org Penny Mehra Executive Director Alcott Center for Mental Health Services 1433 S. Robertson Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90035 Voice: 310-785-2121 Fax: 3210-553-6052 E-mail: pmehra@alcottcenter.org Andrea Pulcini Assistive Technology Services Coordinator Westside Center for Independent Living 12901 Venice Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90066 Voice: 310-390-3611 TTY: 310-398-9204 Fax: 310-390-4906 E-mail: andreap@wcil.org IL NET STAFF ILRU Lex Frieden Laurie Gerken Redd Executive Director Administrative Coordinator lfrieden@ilru.org lredd@ilru.org Richard Petty Carri George Program Director Publications Coordinator richard.petty@bcm.tmc.edu cgeorge@ilru.org Laurel Richards Dawn Heinsohn Training Director Materials Production Specialist lrichards@ilru.org heinsohn@ilru.org ILRU Program 2323 S. Shepherd Suite 1000 Houston, TX 77019 713-520-0232 (V) 713-520-5136 (TTY) 713-520-5785 (FAX) ilru@ilru.org http://www.ilru.org NCIL Anne-Marie Hughey Executive Director hughey@ncil.org NCIL 1916 Wilson Boulevard Suite 209 Arlington, VA 22201 703-525-3406 (V) 703-525-4153 (TTY) 703-525-3409 (FAX) 1-877-525-3400 (V/TTY - toll free) ncil@ncil.org http://www.ncil.org Kristy Langbehn Project Logistics Coordinator kristy@ncil.org Darrell Lynn Jones Training Specialist darrell@ncil.org Raweewan Buppapong Project Assistant toony@ncil.org ABOUT ILRU The Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program was established in 1977 to serve as a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance for independent living. In the mid-1980's, it began conducting management training programs for executive directors and middle managers of independent living centers in the U.S. ILRU has developed an extensive set of resource materials on various aspects of independent living, including a comprehensive directory of programs providing independent living services in the U.S. and Canada. ILRU is a program of TIRR, a nationally recognized, free-standing rehabilitation facility for persons with physical disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities. Since 1959, TIRR has provided patient care, education, and research to promote the integration of people with physical and cognitive disabilities into all aspects of community living. ABOUT NCIL Founded in 1982, the National Council on Independent Living is a membership organization representing independent living centers and individuals with disabilities. NCIL has been instrumental in efforts to standardize requirements for consumer control in management and delivery of services provided through federally-funded independent living centers. Until 1992, NCIL's efforts to foster consumer control and direction in independent living services through changes in federal legislation and regulations were coordinated through an extensive network and involvement of volunteers from independent living centers and other organizations around the country. Since 1992, NCIL has had a national office in Arlington, Virginia, just minutes by subway or car from the major centers of government in Washington, D.C. While NCIL continues to rely on the commitment and dedication of volunteers from around the country, the establishment of a national office with staff and other resources has strengthened its capacity to serve as the voice for independent living in matters of critical importance in eliminating discrimination and unequal treatment based on disability. Today, NCIL is a strong voice for independent living in our nation's capital. With your participation, NCIL can deliver the message of independent living to even more people who are charged with the important responsibility of making laws and creating programs designed to assure equal rights for all. ABOUT THE IL NET This training program is sponsored by the IL NET, a collaborative project of the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) of Houston and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). The IL NET is a national training and technical assistance project working to strengthen the independent living movement by supporting Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs). IL NET activities include workshops, national teleconferences, technical assistance, on-line information, training materials, fact sheets, and other resource materials on operating, managing, and evaluating centers and SILCs. The mission of the IL NET is to assist in building strong and effective CILs and SILCs which are led and staffed by people who practice the independent living philosophy. The IL NET operates with these objectives: * Assist CILs and SILCs in managing effective organizations by providing a continuum of information, training, and technical assistance. * Assist CILs and SILCs to become strong community advocates/change agents by providing a continuum of information, training, and technical assistance. * Assist CILs and SILCs to develop strong, consumer-responsive services by providing a continuum of information, training, and technical assistance. READINGS IN INDEPENDENT LIVING Been There, Done That: The Mental Health Peer Support Project By Judith Holtz, Mary Ann Jones and Keith Miller June 2001 Introduction and Background While it is understood that centers for independent living work with and on behalf of people with all types of disabilities, it must be acknowledged that many centers, especially in the early days of center development, dealt primarily with persons who had physical and sensory disabilities. Indeed, some refer to mental disability as the "stepchild" of the IL movement. In the mid-90s, the Westside Center for Independent Living (WCIL) made a conscious decision to reach out to consumers with mental health issues. Staff developed a pilot Peer Support Staff project for persons with mental health/psychiatric disabilities. The project was aimed at empowering these individuals to take charge of their own support group and to increase their employability by having them work with other staff at the agency. The project was a struggle to keep going primarily because there was no dedicated funding for staff or participants and it lacked timely placement in real jobs. The project fizzled, but the basic premise hovered about WCIL. In April 1999, WCIL had an opportunity to take what it had learned and create a new project in response to a request for proposals (RFP) for consumer run services from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH). This RFP was part of DMH's initiative to increase the roles of consumers throughout the LA county mental health system. Many people in the mental health community believed this to be the most critical element in ensuring an effective and responsive mental health delivery system. A major part of WCIL's mission is to advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the planning and delivery of programs and services designed for them. WCIL viewed this RFP as a unique opportunity to increase service delivery to consumers with mental disabilities, meet community needs and contribute some much needed systems change. The Peer Support Project (PSP) takes people with mental disabilities and eases them back into the workforce to assist others with mental disabilities to lead independent and productive lives. Steps Taken WCIL regularly attended several different mental health network meetings where participating agencies used ideas from consumers and their families when discussing service issues. Many meetings centered on the idea that service provision which included more direct involvement by consumers would be a significant asset to the mental health community. Consumers, it was noted, find it easier to communicate with people who have "been there, done that." The long-standing consensus was that a program to train mental health consumers to be paraprofessionals would be an important step toward their independence. From these meetings, WCIL's Peer Support Project (PSP) was born. WCIL submitted a concept paper that included paid participant training and internship as well as a paid consumer project coordinator. The training would assist consumers in the mental health system to provide direct services to others needing those services. A panel of agency directors, consumers, and mental health personnel reviewed the submitted papers, discussed the viability of the papers and voted on which one could best serve the community. Subsequently, they chose WCIL's proposal. Since the funding provided by the Department of Mental Health could only be used for consumer stipends and salaries, WCIL immediately went to work identifying additional funding to help defray project expenses. With an additional grant from a community church, WCIL was able to increase the project facilitator's hours from 10 to 16 and have a tiny bit left for supplies. The Plan Unwittingly, staff incorporated the four elements of the vocational rehabilitation process that have been identified as important in effectively helping people with mental illness to obtain employment: The practitioner (mental health professionals), the process (flexibility), the program (consumer-run programs, real work for real pay in community settings, transitional employment) and the principles (empowerment, integrated settings, rapid placement, supportive services). ("Strategies to Secure and Maintain Employment for People with Long-term Mental Illness," National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Vol. XV, No 10, 1993. ISSN: 0732-2623.) To accomplish this goal, the Peer Support Project (PSP) offered the following supports. * An eight-week training period involved topics such as crisis intervention, boundaries between counselor and consumer, stigma of mental disabilities, Social Security benefits, case management, community resources, advocacy housing issues, incident/abuse reporting, goal setting and prioritizing, information recording, forms and statistical reporting. An important part of the training dealt with the empowerment of the participant/consumer. Many participants utilized empowerment in their daily lives. The PSP coordinator and WCIL supervisors critiqued role-playing scenarios used for training purposes. * A ten-week internship after training placed the participants in various mental health agencies throughout WCIL's service area. During this period, they worked under the guidance of professionals who assisted them in a variety of peer counseling techniques learned during training. An $8.00 per hour stipend was paid to the PSP participants for both the training and internship. The Project Prospective participants applied to the PSP by submitting their resume and a cover letter explaining why they wanted to enroll in the program and what they wanted to achieve as a result of it. The criteria for selection required the participants to be LA County Department of Mental Health consumers and be stable in regard to their disability. To date, the project range of disabilities has included depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety and panic disorders, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Each of the prospective participants completed an employment application and went through a formal job interview. The application included a set of field related questions. Some of the questions included scenarios related to things that could happen in an agency and tested their knowledge of community resources. Important to their selection as a participant in the project was the way they handled the job interview. The questions asked gave an idea of the applicants' knowledge of the field. WCIL also tried to achieve a diverse representation of disabilities among the participants. Training WCIL staff who developed the training curriculum included the director of services, a licensed clinical social worker, the program manager, the advocacy supervisor, and the peer support project coordinator, a consumer in the mental health system. The needs of the community and the information needed to be an asset to the community formed the basis of the PSP curriculum . The PSP training module consisted of an eight-week course. WCIL established a ten-hour, three-day week. WCIL found that people receiving certain medication therapies had difficulty concentrating for more than 3-4 hour at a time. Rest breaks helped to alleviate stress and enhance retention of the curriculum. Each class session began with the PSP coordinator checking in with each participant to see how he or she felt that day. This allowed the participants to vent their fears and receive needed support. The topic order remained flexible to accommodate fluctuations related to participants' disabilities. WCIL noticed the class ran best when the PSP coordinator focused on one topic per class. WCIL's specialist staff conducted the majority of the lectures. Additional guest speakers came from different service area providers. WCIL found that the agencies in its service area supported the project and very willingly participated in the training process. Questions and answers followed each lecture. Whenever possible, WCIL created scenarios and vignettes to assist participants to obtain hands-on experience. Inclusion of a recap of the previous day ensured maximum retention. The final class focused on a comprehensive review of the entire course. At the end of the training module, the PSP participants took part in a graduation ceremony that included their families and other guests. This enhanced their sense of accomplishment by allowing them to share their success. Internships Internships began the week immediately following the conclusion of the training module. Internships were served at local mental health service agencies. These agencies included a residential treatment center for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, an agency that provides social and educational advocacy as well as housing assistance to adults diagnosed with serious mental illness, and a drop-in center for homeless mentally ill women. When determining internship assignment, the PSP coordinator took into consideration both the participant's disability and the agency's needs. The PSP coordinator followed each participant's progress by visiting the host agency several times during the internship period. The PSP coordinator also made regular phone calls to each host agency to ensure the participants continued to honor their work commitment and to troubleshoot any problems as needed. The participants met at WCIL once a month for a support meeting. This gave the participants an opportunity to verbalize any fears and/or problems as well as share accomplishments. Each agency that hosted interns from the WCIL Peer Support Project requested to be included in future trainings and internships. The response was so great that WCIL created a waiting list of area providers wanting to be included in the PSP program. WCIL found as each module was completed that changes were necessary to provide an even more comprehensive program. The participants and agencies gave feed back to the PSP coordinator who incorporated that information in subsequent modules. Outcomes of the project The primary focus of the WCIL Peer Support Project included the experience, understanding, and resources, as well as the knowledge, of people with mental disabilities as part of service delivery to their peers. This approach allowed for sharing of experience beyond what is available in traditional models. It also included a key component of the Independent Living philosophy at the heart of the project - peer support and role modeling. The PSP consumers discussed how they managed their disability, how they successfully accessed services, their firsthand knowledge of obstacles to meeting their needs, and how to effectively deal with those obstacles. Further, the project illustrated to those requesting assistance that they could be independent and utilize their skills to enhance their functioning in their communities. The experience of the Peer Support Project empowered consumers as they developed successful work habits, learned to manage their disability in the work environment, and learned to recognize their specific needs for reasonable accommodations - all factors that could ensure the success of future employment. The best feature of this project is its ability to further expand the service delivery system to reach more consumers and to provide the more intensive one-on-one assistance that many agencies cannot provide. As a bonus, agencies and staff had the opportunity to hear the consumer's perspective regarding agency procedures and ultimately provide another avenue for consumer input into all parts of the organization. Success How does one measure success? WCIL noticed that success came in many forms. One could look at the actual completion of the program as a success. Since many of the participants either never worked or did not work for many years due to their disability, WCIL found that the completion of the PSP was a success in itself. Opening up, communicating with others and higher self-esteem also signified success in this program. Feedback from the participants ran the gamut from feeling better about themselves to a better quality of life through employment. Out of the three completed modules, twenty participants graduated. Among those participants, ten received gainful employment, one decided to return to school, and two have jobs pending. Also, two who were in shelters and transitional housing have now found permanent housing. As employment was not the only measure of success, the other unemployed participants who used the skills they learned to communicate better with family, the system, and obtain a better quality of life than before are considered successful as well. Another indication of the PSP's success came in December 2000 when representatives of WCIL's Peer Support Project gave the keynote address at a luncheon for the Westside Mental Health Network. This network included approximately twenty-five mental health agencies and numerous consumers of the Department of Mental Health. The speakers included WCIL's program manager, the PSP coordinator, and several participants from the first two modules. Several agencies spoke of the program's merits as they pertained to receiving the newly trained participants. The program was well received and several new agencies signed on to participate in future sessions. The director of the LA County Department of Mental Health is considering increasing its funding of the program. With proper training and support we can continue to better the lives of those who in the past were overlooked. The goal of the Peer Support Project is to give people with mental disabilities an opportunity to change their lives for the better by assisting those they serve to do the same. Contact Information Judith Holtz Westside CIL 12901 Venice Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90066 Phone: (310) 390-3611, ext. 214 TTY: (310) 398-9204 E-mail: Judith@wcil.org Visit WCIL on the web at http://www.wcil.org About the Authors Judith Holtz is WCIL's Peer Support Project coordinator and has been employed there for two years. She has extensive experience with the mental health system, both as a service provider and as a consumer. Mary Ann Jones is the executive director of WCIL, where she has been employed for the last 10 years. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology and mass communications with an emphasis in public relations. For more than 30 years she has worked and volunteered for several non-profit organizations, most of which have been directly linked to disability-related issues and the independent living movement. Keith Miller is the program manager of WCIL, where he has been employed for three years. He has been involved in the mental health community as a service provider for the past 14 years. Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred. (2001 ILRU Program. All rights reserved. WCIL Peer Support Employment Project is looking for new PARTICIPANTS! WCIL Peer Support Employment Project is starting a new class in January 2002. We are looking for new participants who are interested in learning to be a Peer Support Trainee. Interviews are starting in November 2001. Topics covered in the seven-week training program include: · Advocacy · Agency Protocols · Benefits · Boundaries · Case Assessment · Community Resources · Confidentiality · Crisis Intervention/Peer Counseling Concepts · Disability Management in the Workplace · Empowerment · File Reviews; Setup/Maintenance · Goal Setting · Housing · Incident/Abuse Reporting · Independent Living Concepts and Skills · Office Procedures & Equipment · Prioritizing · When To Act Independently/Check With a Supervisor WCIL Peer Support Employment Project will pay participants a stipend of $8.00 per hour. Interested? Call: Westside Center for Independent Living: (310) 390-3611 JUDITH HOLTZ, EXT. 227 KEITH MILLER, EXT. 247 WCIL Peer Support Project The mission of the Westside Center for Independent Living, Inc. is to facilitate independent living for people with disabilities and seniors through a variety of non-residential programs and services. WCIL advocates, educates and provides primarily peer-conducted services to its consumers and the community. The Peer Support Staff is comprised of people with disabilities who work directly with WCIL's consumers by providing support services. Through these activities, they are able to gain work experience and job readiness skills. Job Description Peer Support Staff The Peer Support Staff is under the direction and supervision of the ILS Comprehensive Services Specialists and is responsible for providing support staff in their work with consumers. Responsibilities: 1. Provide individual services to consumers. 2. Assist in maintaining consumer files and progress notes. 3. Attend all Peer Support Staff trainings, supervision meetings and other meetings, as required. 4. Communicate status of consumer work with supervisors. 5. Input data on computer system with training as needed. 6. Work in a variety of WCIL service areas. 7. Other duties as assigned by supervisors. Qualifications: 1. Must be a person with a mental disability receiving mental health services. 2. Ability to adhere to an assigned time schedule. 3. Ability to communicate effectively both written/oral. 4. Ability to record information accurately and within designated time frames. 5. Desire to learn necessary skills, information and resources and to follow input and directions from supervisors. 6. Interpersonal skills needed to interact effectively with a variety of staff, volunteers and consumers. 7. Able to participate in a six-week training of 8-12 hours per week in consumer service provision. Skills To Be Acquired: 1. Basic supportive counseling skills. 2. Advocacy and enhanced communication skills. 3. Basic crisis intervention skills. 4. Basic knowledge of government benefits, systems and related procedures. 5. Knowledge of community resources, basic computer applications and report writing. 6. Organizational skills. Peer Support Employment Project Application Date: _________________ Name: ____________________________________ Address: ____________________________________ Phone #: ____________________________________ SSN#: ____________________________________ 1. Why do you think you would make a good Peer Support Intern? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What has been your experience in assisting yourself and others in making your lives better? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What skills would you like to receive from the PSEP training? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Please describe your personal experience working with a disability? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Please list five community resources in your area. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ References: Name: ________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________ Telephone: ____________________________________________________________ Name: ________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________ Telephone: ____________________________________________________________ Emergency Contact: Name: _________________________________________ Telephone: _____________________________________ Relationship: ____________________________________ 2001 application /jh WRITTEN QUESTIONS Please write a couple of paragraphs on the following questions. You have a late afternoon appointment with a consumer. You must complete paperwork for each consumer you see. During the middle of the day you have to handle a crisis where another consumer walks in and needs resources to homeless shelters. How would you handle the situation? Please describe a situation that you were involved with that you handled very well. What was the outcome of the situation? Panel Interview Questions 1. What interests you about working with people who have mental disabilities? 2. What do you think the strongest quality a Peer Support Staff member should have? 3. You have a consumer who is not applying himself/herself to their set goal plan. How would you assist them in completing their goals? 4. Do you work better independently or as part as a team? Why? 5. What situations cause you stress? How do you cope with stress? 6. Tell us about a situation that you considered yourself as having not succeeded. How could you have handled the situation differently? 7. What types of consumers do you feel it would be the most difficult to work with. Why? 8. Why do you think you would be a good Peer Support Staff member? Please describe what qualities, and experiences you possess that would contribute to your success in this position. 9. What support systems do you have in place to assist you in life? 10. Where do you see yourself in the job market in 2 years? Peer Support Employment Project Evaluation This is the time to make your evaluation of this course. Please include what you felt worked and didn't work. Also add areas you wanted to receive more information in and areas that you felt were not helpful. This will assist the Peer Support Staff to improve on the training. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date: March 12, 2001 Subject: Name of Speaker: Topic of Day Evaluation for Peer Support Project Rating scale for each area is 1 being lowest 5 being highest 1. The presentation was informative and concise. 1 2 3 4 5 Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The presenter was knowledgeable in the area of presentation. 1 2 3 4 5 Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Questions were answered clearly and thoroughly. 1 2 3 4 5 Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Presenter was attentive to class needs. 1 2 3 4 5 Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Additional Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________