Meet Heather Baker
WHY Heather SHARES
Throughout her life and career, Heather experienced firsthand the difficulties of navigating systems and services. During her time spent in nonprofit community based crisis services programming, Heather witnessed hundreds of others facing the consequences of systemic oppression. Heather is moved by the love she has for her children. Heather is moved by the pain and suffering they have seen, felt, and experienced. Heather is moved by the hope they have witnessed in small moments of advocacy success and large movements of collective activism. Heather Shares to make an impact through Lived Experience Informed Practice.
ABOUT Heather
Heather is a Certified Peer Specialist and Parent Peer Specialist in the State of Wisconsin and has been working in systems and services professionally for over a decade in nonprofit management, providing direct service, training, consulting, and facilitation. Additionally, Heather is a Reiki Master, Registered Yoga Teacher and Student of Shamanic Studies, and blends the practices to continue to discover approaches to life and health informed by many pathways and trauma sensitivity. Heather views life through disability justice, neurodiversity affirming and leads from the values of access, inclusion, justice and peace. Heather leverages lived experience to support transformation in individuals and systems. She is a contractor with Milwaukee County and facilitates Peer Specialist Trainings via the Wisconsin Peer Specialist Employment Initiative. Heather received a BA in Anthropology and Certificate in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from UW-Milwaukee and incorporates nonviolent communication, peacebuilding, and systems thinking into all aspects of their work. Heather is the owner of PEERspective Wellness, a peer led wellness service provider.
Heather acknowledges that in Milwaukee they are living and working on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee homelands along the southwest shores of Michigami, part of North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.