BUILDING BRIDGES AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: PEER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH STATEWIDE NETWORKS - BUILDING BRIDGES AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES: PEER LEADERSHIP THROUGH STATEWIDE NETWORKS (BRIDGES), A PROGRAM OF PEER SUPPORT COALITION OF FLORIDA, INC. (PSCFL), PROPOSES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF ADULTS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES (SMI) BY MEASURABLY INCREASING THE LEVELS AND QUALITY OF PEER SUPPORT ACROSS THE STATE OF FLORIDA, INCREASING THE CAPACITY FOR CONSUMER LEADERSHIP, AND THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF STATEWIDE CONSUMER OPERATED ORGANIZATIONS. PSCFL HAS IDENTIFIED A NEED IN FLORIDA FOR BETTER ACCESS TO CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. AS WE PARTNER WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WE IDENTIFY WITH THE STATE'S VISION TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS TO A RANGE OF CLINICAL AND NONCLINICAL SUPPORTS. OUR WORK WITH PEER NETWORKS ACROSS FLORIDA, OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, INDICATES THAT IN ORDER FOR PEERS TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES PSCFL NEEDS TO PROVIDE TOOLS FOR PEERS TO FIND AND EFFECTIVELY USE THEIR VOICES. TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS IDENTIFIED, THE THREE GOALS OF THE BRIDGES PROJECT ARE: 1) IMPROVE QUALITY OF AND ACCESS TO STATEWIDE PEER SUPPORT AND RECOVERY-ORIENTED, INTEGRATED, AND COORDINATED TREATMENT, SERVICES AND SUPPORTS BY BEING A STATEWIDE RESOURCE FOR PEER NETWORK DEVELOPMENT. 2) EMPHASIZE AND BUILD STATEWIDE CONSUMER LEADERSHIP WITHIN CONSUMER-OPERATED ORGANIZATIONS AND IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PEER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY OF FLORIDA (PLAFL). 3) BUILD CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF STATEWIDE CONSUMER NETWORKS THROUGH TRAININGS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING. PSCFL HAS A GOAL THROUGH THE BRIGES PROJECT TO PARTNER WITH AND PROVIDE SUPPORTS TO AT LEAST 10 PEER NETWORKS ACROSS THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THROUGH THE PLAFL, WE PROPOSE TO PROVIDE ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO PEER LEADERS FROM THE PARTNERING NETWORKS. ANNUAL PLAFL COHORTS WILL INCLUDE AT LEAST 12 PEER LEADERS FOR A TOTAL OF 36 LEADERS TRAINED OVER THE LIFE OF THE GRANT. FINALLY, PSCFL WILL PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NECESSARY FOR THE GRASSROOTS PEER NETWORKS TO SEEK FORMAL ORGANIZATION STATUS AND CONDUCT SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. CONTINUATION OF THE BRIDGES PROJECT WILL PROVIDE PSCFL WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT IN DEVELOPING AND CONNECTING PEER COMMUNITIES ACROSS FLORIDA.