Micayla: WIOA Adult and Support to Communities Programs

Micayla was enrolled into the WIOA Adult and Support to Communities Programs on December 23rd of 2023 with the goal of becoming a Certified Peer Specialist, working part-time at a café during the duration of her time in the program. Support to Communities formed a contract with the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative (WIPSEI) for STC to fund a Certified Peer Specialist Training. Micayla was quick to learn about this opportunity from the sober living house she was staying in and was quick to contact Workforce Resource to be part of that opportunity. Micayla worked closely with her Career Planner to apply for the training and discuss what would assist her as she took the training. At the time, her biggest barrier was not having a device, as the training was fully online. The STC Program was able to provide a laptop for her to successfully complete the training, which she uses today for her new job. Micayla passed the course but still needed to take the State Exam to become certified. The STC program helped her with this as well by covering the registration fee for her to take the exam. She passed with flying colors and obtained her official Certificate for Peer Specialists in May 2024. From here, Micayla worked with her Career Planner to find jobs in her area that relate to peer support. She found a job swiftly through CC We Adapt as a Mentor/Peer Support Specialist, working an average of 23 hours a week at $25.00 per hour, alongside her café job which she still works to this day. Micayla assists those enrolled in CCS programs and provides support to folks from all walks of life. She expressed to her career planner how much she enjoys her new job and hopes to obtain more hours as a Peer support specialist once she leaves her café job. Micayla emphasizes that her goals became a reality far quicker than she had initially thought. She came from a place of getting out of prison and being in her own substance abuse recovery, to going to sober living houses for support, to taking the training, and now having a job where she can give back to the community.