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We are bringing you another episode full of conversations with some of our organizational stakeholders. This month, we get to hear from Kattie Lail of We Face It Together and Betsy Craft of Colorado Drug Policy Coalition. Stay tuned for stories from the field!

As part of the PR CoE’s supplemental funding provided in 2023 to increase the number of Recovery Community Organizations able to bill insurance and be reimbursed for peer recovery support services, this report was developed to provide a state-by-state analysis of Medicaid reimbursement specifically for peer support services, including peer recovery support services for substance use disorders and mental health peer support services.

This report provides a national overview of:

• Which states offer Medicaid reimbursement specifically for peer support services
• Reimbursement rates for one-on-one and group peer support services
• Funding authority types and selections by each state
• Billing codes and modifiers used by each state to specify peer support services
• Recommendations

This presentation is from our newest partners, One World Recovery Network, overviewing the work they'll be doing with us and with our network of peers in the recovery field.

Recovery from addiction happens in the community through interactions with people with lived experience. Single state agencies are the main, and often only, source of funding for recovery support services in many states. State and county agencies distribute funds designated for recovery support services. In a time on increasing need, those resources need to be used strategically and effectively. Using funds more strategically to build communities that are saturated with recovery-centered resources can achieve better recovery outcomes. To do so, organizations that are recovery-centered—that is, that center lived experience in policy and practice—need to be prioritized for funding.

This publication offers strategies for government agencies to build recovery-rich communities, using lived experience as the frame. The brief includes solutions that can be implemented over the short and long-term to maximize existing resources. The goal is to rapidly improve access to recovery support services at a time of rising demand and promote strategies that will have long-term, enduring impact.

Download PDF here or by clicking the image to the left.

In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.

In this fifth episode of the series, Tim speaks with Mx. Yaffa about developing advocacy skills. They are an award-winning disabled, mad, trans, queer, Muslim, indigenous Palestinian. Mx. Yaffa conducts transformative work around displacement, decolonization, equity, and centering lived experiences of individuals most impacted by injustice. Mx. Yaffa is a storyteller and an equity and transformation consultant, having shared their story with over 100,000 audience members at speaking events globally. Mx. Yaffa has worked in over two dozen countries, and specializes in global and community vision building.

In 2023, our RCO capacity building team hosted a learning series on nonprofit basics. The series aimed to:

• Offer practical skills and foundational elements needed to run, operate, and grow a healthy nonprofit organization
• Educate nonprofit leaders on the importance and elements of building proper infrastructure
• Build community and share resources among RCO, RCC, and peer-run nonprofit leaders

Session 2 focused on strategic planning using an appreciative inquiry approach. Learning objectives were:

• Understand the basics and benefits of Appreciative Inquiry
• Come away with specific action plans that will help their organizations build capacity and sustainability.
• Define purpose and map strengths
• Share strengths, define values and guiding principles
• Identify opportunity areas
• Construct an action plan

You will find the recordings of the 2-part session below. You can download the slides and handouts by clicking the image to the left.

Part 1 Recording

Part 2 Recording

In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.

In this fourth episode of the series, Tim speaks with Shandelle Friedman exploring multiple pathways to recovery. Shandelle is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with 2 years of experience working in the field. Working with members of her local Sober Squad Chapter, she developed a desire to help others navigate the challenges faced by those recovering from substance use challenges. She now works as an ADC-T for her organization and finds peer support to be a vital part of the recovery process.

In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.

In this third episode of the series, Tim speaks with Sera Davidow about developing skills as a professional. Sera is a filmmaker, activist, advocate, author, and mother of two very busy kids. As a survivor of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse as a child and relationship violence as an adult, Sera has faced many challenges throughout her own healing process, including many ups and downs with suicidal thoughts, and self-injury. At present, she spends much of her time working as Director of the Wildflower Alliance (formerly known as the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community), which includes Afiya Peer Respite, recently recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of about two dozen exemplary, rights-based programs operating across the world.

In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.

In this second episode of the series, Tim talks with Nze Okoronta about supporting people navigating “crisis.” Nze is the Peer Services Manager for Solstice House, a peer-run respite and warmline operated by SOAR Case Management, a small nonprofit organization in Madison, WI with the mission of serving individuals who have experienced mental health and/or substance use challenges. Nze is passionate about peer support in Wisconsin and views peer support work as a fundamentally restorative practice. She believes peer work has the power to reduce and prevent systemic harm, support marginalized communities in a more complete way, and bring radical acceptance to the forefront of mental health and substance use care.

In late 2022, Tim Saubers, who leads our workforce development team, hosted a 6-month Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists. The series was so well attended and in demand, that we also offered it in early 2023. In this podcast series, Tim sits down to have a conversation with each facilitator to have a deeper discussion with them about their presentation and what it means for the field.

In this first episode of the series, I talk with Tim about his presentation on ethics within the provision of peer recovery support services. In addition to leading our workforce development team, Tim is a person with lived experience with both mental health and substance use challenges who got his start as a Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialist in 2016, and has worked in direct support and supervisory roles. Tim has no formal education beyond his high school diploma and Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialist Certification. He believes strongly in the value of his lived experiences and learned skills, and advocates for greater recognition and compensation of those without higher education across the field of behavioral health.

In 2023, our RCO capacity building team hosted a learning series on nonprofit basics. The series aimed to:

• Offer practical skills and foundational elements needed to run, operate, and grow a healthy nonprofit organization
• Educate nonprofit leaders on the importance and elements of building proper infrastructure
• Build community and share resources among RCO, RCC, and peer-run nonprofit leaders

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the importance of effective budgeting
• Discuss various ways nonprofits cover administrative expenses
• Explore tips in budgeting quickly and easily
• Apply learning in creating a sample budget

You will find the recordings of the 2-part session below. You can download the slides and handouts by clicking the image to the left.

Part 1 Recording

Part 2 Recording

This month, Kris Kelly, who leads our RCO capacity building team here at the PR CoE, hosts a conversation with Durga Leela, founder of Yoga of Recovery. In this episode, you’ll get to hear about Durga’s recovery journey embracing Ayurveda and how one of the oldest traditional systems of medicine helps her live a life of abundance.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• Yoga of Recovery Website
• Yoga of Recovery Events
• Durga's Book
• Bayan Botanitcals
• Durga's Email: durga@yogaofrecovery.com