The Advantages of Peer Workers:
Reducing the Impact of Monkeypox in Communities
Tanesha L. Burley, MPH
Adam Viera, PhD Candidate, Social and Behavioral Sciences
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is a virus characterized by a variety of symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle aches, chills, and a rash that can occur on the face, inside the mouth, hands, genitals, anus and other parts of the body.1 Monkeypox is transmitted through direct contact with an infectious rash, scabs, or bodily fluids; respiratory secretions; and touching clothing items or linens that previously touched infected bodily fluids or rashes. It can also be transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy.2 Anyone who has been in close contact with someone with monkeypox is at
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risk for contracting the virus. People with compromised immune systems, such as those living with uncontrolled HIV, may be more susceptible to contracting monkeypox.3 The illness generally lasts between 2-4 weeks, and it is rarely fatal.4 Monkeypox and smallpox are similar in nature, and medical professionals use the smallpox vaccine and smallpox treatments for those who have been exposed to, or at risk for the virus.5
Communities of color often rely on peer workers to be the first line of defense against emerging public health issues, such as monkeypox. To address monkeypox specifically, peer workers can educate people about the virus, help to link those with symptoms or at risk for monkeypox to care, and provide linkages to other resources, where available. Peer workers establish enduring relationships that are essential in identifying the needs of individuals and efficiently and effectively linking them to care. This requires building trust and rapport with individuals and organizations to ensure that people’s wholistic needs are addressed. Additionally, peer workers build the credibility and partnerships needed to improve collective health outcomes by empowering communities to increase health equity and eliminate health disparities.
Peer workers play an essential role in the respective communities they serve, and the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence (CoE) is here to support them. The Peer Recovery CoE received funding to provide training and technical assistance to Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) grantees. This initiative will provide interactive platforms for grantees to convene with each other through learning exchanges, share experiences during interactive trainings, receive technical assistance for personalized support, and gain more in-depth knowledge about issues that impact communities of color through e-courses. There will also be an opportunity for MAI grantees to apply for mini-grants to help enhance innovative service delivery. Addressing the multiple issues that we face collectively requires consistent effort and connections that span from community to national levels. The Peer Recovery Center of Excellence is here to help support and empower these efforts. For more information, please visit the Peer Recovery CoE, Minority AIDS Initiative.
1https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html
2https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html
3https://www.aidsmap.com/news/jun-2022/what-does-monkeypox-outbreak-mean-people-living-hiv
4https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html
5https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/treatment.html
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Training Series! First session is July 19th
Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists
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Beginning in July 2022, the Peer Recovery CoE will begin hosting monthly training sessions for Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialists (PRSS).
The purpose of this training series is to provide recurring opportunities for peer recovery support specialists from across the country to build foundational skills that are necessary for effective peer support service provision. Each of the 6 topics will be offered twice per year* in order to accommodate PRSS who are new to the field and those who would like to brush up on their basics. Additionally, these trainings may serve as an option for TA requesters looking to build their skills as PRSS.
In complement to the Communities of Practice, these training sessions will be structured in such a way as to support concrete skill development including group discussion, presentation, facilitated activities, and more. Through this training series we aim to better equip the PRSS workforce with the skills necessary for the effective, professional, and intentional provision of peer support services. Find out more.
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The Peer Recovery CoE hosts monthly communities of practice, a type of affinity call, as spaces for peer recovery support specialists and those who supervise them to network, learn, share, practice, and grow together. The goal of these calls is to bring together a variety of diverse perspectives from across the country to share in mutual learning that is centered on topics relevant to the peer workforce.
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July CoP for Peer Support Recovery Specialists
Community Conversation: Supporting People Navigating Eating Challenges*
July 20 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern
Click here for facilitator bios
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July CoP for Peer Supervisors
Community Conversation: Supporting People Navigating Eating Challenges*
July 27 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern
Click here for facilitator bios
*Both the CoP for PRSS & Supervisors of PRSS will be on the same topic for July
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Bonus Podcast Episode:
Navigating Recovery as members of LGBTQIA+: Tim Saubers and Johanna Dolan
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In this bonus episode, our hosts get to talk with Tim Saubers, Workforce Development Lead, and Johanna Dolan, CoE Steering Committee Member, about their experiences navigating recovery as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
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July Podcast Episode: Organizational Stakeholders of the Month, Vol. 5
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In this episode, our host spoke with some of our previously featured organizational stakeholders of the month about the work they are doing through their respective organizations. Tune in now to hear stories and anecdotes from the field!
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Upcoming Training & Events from the Peer Recovery CoE
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Peer Recovery CoE Learning Collaborative - Community and Stakeholder Engagement for Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs) - Two sessions left! Find out more.
- Session 6: Engaging with Diverse Populations - August 11, 2022
Skill Development Series for Peer Recovery Support Specialists, Find out more.
- Building Advocacy Skills - July 19, 2022
- Supporting People Navigating "Crisis" - August 16, 2022
Listening Circle:
The Wellbriety Movement & the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence - July 26,2022
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Meet Our Organizational Stakeholders of the Month
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The Peer Recovery CoE, along with our Steering Committee member, Michael King, are pleased to announce our latest Organizational Stakeholders of the Month! Each month, we will select a few of our stakeholders in order to highlight their incredible work at our monthly stakeholder calls, in the newsletter, and our podcast. Learn more about our featured stakeholders below.
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population experiencing severe mental health conditions. For those experiencing chronic homelessness with severe mental health impairments, access to disability benefits can be critical to increasing financial stability and preventing recidivism and homelessness.
SOAR trained peer workers can and have played vital roles in improving or enhancing SOAR initiatives across the country. From serving as outreach case managers all the way to SOAR state Team leads, peer workers have been essential in increasing community capacity to serve more applicants, improving the accuracy and quality of information on applications, and providing support to both existing SOAR trained staff and applicants throughout the process. The SOAR TA center recognizes the value of lived expertise in the benefits acquisition process and in leadership roles...continue reading
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The National Peer Recovery Alliance (NPRA) is committed to building & sustaining a more unified, empowered peer workforce to support individuals with substance use disorders. NPRA envisions a more unified, empowered peer workforce to provide individuals in recovery with the voice and choice they need for long-term success. NPRA committed to building and sustaining a more unified, empowered peer workforce to support individuals with substance use disorders. Through advocacy and education, they elevate and strengthen the role of peer support specialists in communities across the country.
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The Chris Atwood Foundation was created in 2013 after The Atwood Family lost their son and brother, Chris, to an accidental overdose at age 21.
The CAF is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that creates recovery ready communities through free harm reduction and recovery support services, resources and education. The Foundation does this by We do this by:
- Educating the community about the disease of addiction
- Creating recovery ready communities
- Training the community on how to administer naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose
- Providing free life saving naloxone
- Providing low-barrier harm reduction resources and recovery support
- Providing Recovery Housing Scholarships
- Providing free Peer Recovery Support Specialists for individuals
- Providing Family Support Services and resources
- Advocating for legislative and policy changes that promote equitable access to life saving measures and supports
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Latest News, Events, and Resources from the Field
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