Resource Library

From Voices of Hope in Lexington, KY, this video presents overdose prevention training for the deaf community.

From Region 6 MHTTC's Peer Support Conference, expert panelists will discuss the definition and role of the Family Peer and the impact of having this positive resource available for families. The panel will also explore the similarities and differences between Family Peers and Peer Supporters and their collaborative role in helping others.

The New Voice of SUD is a podcast developed by the Southeast ATTC.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Technology Transfer Specialist and President and CEO of Inentional Begginnings, LLC, Sharon Hesseltine. We turn our attention to the stigma and barriers that women face while parenting or pregnant while being challenged with substance use disorder (SUD). Sharon highlights her personal journey as a mother while plowing through her road to recovery. She also debunks some common myths of being pregnant with a SUD.

Listeners will get an overview of her newest project, "Providing Peer-Based Recovery Support Services for Pregnant and Parenting Families".

From the University of Wisconsin-Madison Organizational and Leadership Development Program, this framework provides guidance for organizational development decision-making.

The purpose of this article was to examine evidence in the literature among peer-based interventions and programs of components and behavioral mechanisms utilized to improbe HIV care cascade outcomes. This review highlighted the peer behavioral mechanisms that operate in various types of peer approaches to improve HIV care and outcomes in numerous settings and among diverse populations. The peer-based approach is flexible and commonly used, particularly in resource-poor settings.

This is a manual that covers peer recovery support basics from Ohio Mental Health & Addictions Services. Peer recovery services (PRS) are community-based services for individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder, and consist of activities that promote recovery, self-determination, self-advocacy, well-being, and independence. Peer recovery services are individualized, recovery-focused, and based on a relationship that supports a person’s ability to promote their own recovery. Peer recovery services promote self-directed recovery by assisting an individual and promoting trauma-informed care and diversity competence, encouraging self-direction, and advocating for informed choice.

Peer recovery support services are increasingly becoming an important part of the behavioral healthcare workforce. So much so, the growth in opportunity is outpacing the fields ability to define best practices in how to integrate peer services into organizational practice. Nationally, there are various levels of experience and expertise. A continuous area of interest is utilizing peer support across the continuum of care. An important take away from those who do it well is that implementing an effective peer support program often requires a shift in the organizational culture. Engaging all stakeholders is crucial in developing peer recovery support service programming. Buy-in and support of senior leadership will contribute to the successful integration.

The structure and process of bringing on Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) staff should be carefully considered before beginning the recruitment process. The role of the PRSS, as well as the flexibility and cooperation of existing staff, will impact the level of integration. To ensure a cohesive team, the entire organization, from administration to executive leadership, will need resources and training as well as implementation support around peer recovery support services and working within a recovery-oriented practice. Doing so will help current and new staff build upon the collaborative nature of the emerging profession, mitigate concerns from clinical staff, and clarify roles.

Successful recovery is a journey through a process of change. This webinar will explore the process and identify how peer specialists and providers can intervene in helping individuals with substance use disorders negotiate that recovery journey. The first step involves understanding important tasks and critical activities involved in recovery. There is a common process underlying the many different changes involved in recovery. Moving to free oneself from an addictive behavior involves finding the motivation, decision-making, commitment, effective planning, and implementation to overcome this bio-behavioral condition. We will also examine the multidimensional nature of substance use behaviors. Significant use of substances affects the brain and the body, and takes over the life space of the individual. Although many clinicians would like to impose change on individuals and make them quit using, the individual user must make the journey through recovery using personal coping mechanisms, seeking support and “scaffolding” for their compromised self-regulation, and by re-centering their lives. Finally, we will explore how outreach and treatment connect to the personal recovery process of individuals trying to recover from addictions.

To support a cohesive recovery community and addiction field services, there needs to be alignment. The treatment model for addiction has evolved with time. There are multiple pathways to recovery for substance use disorder. As treatment for addiction has changed and grown, there is a need for peer to peer participatory process. The outlook on addiction is still strongly negative in areas of the world. Sometimes, even in our own field, there is tension on what is the right treatment for an individual with substance use disorder. To have healthy options for peers to get the help they need without discriminating each other is very important.

To support a successful peer program, effective supervision is essential. Equipping supervisors with knowledge of the day to day functions, including practice boundaries specific to the peer role, will increase job satisfaction and retention, reduce communication breakdowns, and lead to better outcomes for the individuals served. For Peer Recovery Support Specialists (PRSS), supervision typically has two components: administrative and supportive. Administrative supervision works with the needs of the agency (scheduling, benefits, etc.). Supportive supervision provides direct guidance, encouragement, and professional development opportunities. Having a plan in place of who, what, when, and where the supervision will occur will create a supportive and safe environment for peers to do their best, most effective work.

In this webinar, Phil Valentine, RCP, Executive Director of the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR), will lead participants into a deeper understanding of the recovery coach role and the underpinning philosophies that led to the development of the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy© (RCA). Valentine will also review some training fundamentals, how best to implement the recovery coach service (including supervision), and shed some personal insight on the future of recovery coaching.