Welcome to the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence’s Resource Library. We have curated these resources in order to support peers and organizations who offer peer recovery support services (PRSS). Resources include toolkits, journal articles, multimedia, presentation slides, and more. You will find information regarding integrating PRSS into new settings, Recovery Community Organization (RCO) capacity building, PRSS workforce development, and best and emerging practices for the delivery of PRSS. As part of our MAI project, we have also gathered HIV-related resources here. You can search by topic, resource type, or simply browse the list below.
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Journal Article
Peer recovery support services (PRSS) are increasingly being employed in a range of clinical settings to assist individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring psychological disorders. PRSS are peer-driven mentoring, education, and support ministrations delivered by individuals who, because of their own experience with SUD and SUD recovery, are experientially qualified to support peers currently experiencing SUD and associated problems. This systematic review characterizes the existing experimental, quasi-experimental, single- and multi-group prospective and retrospective, and cross-sectional research on PRSS.
Curriculum or Toolkit
Addressing Stress and Trauma in Recovery-oriented Systems and Communities: A Challenge to Leadership
Workbook addressing stress and trauma among Recovery Oriented Systems of Care.
Curriculum or Toolkit
Cultural Humility Primer: Peer Support Specialist and Recovery Coach Guide
This primer was created as an entry level cultural reference for Peer Support Specialists and Recovery Coaches working in both substance use disorder and mental health fields. Sections include:
An appendix features a wealth of additional resources, including glossaries of terms and acronyms, references, and tools.
You(th) Can Prevent Overdose: A Toolkit
This toolkit was created by the Carter County Drug Prevention & Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition. Included are specific questions to ask before training teens or children in Naloxone administration and training resources specifically for kids and teens around opioids, Naloxone, and other resources.
Click the resource link below to access.
From South Southwest MHTTC's Peer Support Conference, the panel has a conversation about the current state of Youth Peer Support in our communities and answers some fo the most commonly asked questions regarding Youth Peer Support.
How Recovery Happens for People With Substance Use and Mental Health Problems
This article, by Paolo del Vecchio, M.S.W., Director of the Office of Recovery, was originally posted by Future of Personal Health. In the article, he addresses how the pandemic highlighted behavioral health challenges and outlines SAMHSA funding that promotes resources to help Americans walk in recovery and regain their lives.
Research conducted between January and December 2022 a multi-service center incorporating an overdose prevention site (OPS) operated with city government sanction in San Francisco. One concern often expressed about OPS is that they may increase social nuisance associated with drug use in the surrounding area, despite international evidence that this is not the case. Researchers found that implementing authorized OPS services in a U.S. city did not increase the prevalence of visible signs of drug use and homelessness in the surrounding area. These findings are similar to those found at OPS outside the U.S.
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health: Results from the 2021 and 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health presents data on key substance use and mental health indicators by sexual identity and gender among adults aged 18 or older in the United States. Estimates are based on pooled data from the 2021 and 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and are age-adjusted to facilitate comparisons between groups.
Modelo nacional de normas para la certificación de apoyo entre pares
El documento guía de modelo de normas de SAMHSA titulado, Modelo nacional de normas para la certificación de apoyo entre pares, ha sido preparado como respuesta a la agenda de unidad del 2022 del presidente Biden. Este documento delinea el modelo nacional de normas en el área del consumo de sustancias, la salud mental la familia así como también la certificación de apoyo entre pares jóvenes.
Overdose Prevention Centers, Crime, and Disorder in New York City
Question What trends in crime and disorder were associated with the opening of 2 overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in New York City (NYC) in November 2021?
Findings This cohort study of 2 OPCs and 17 syringe service programs found no significant increases in crimes recorded by the police or calls for emergency service in NYC neighborhoods where 2 OPCs were located. Consistent with the city’s commitment to ensuring clients could use the centers free from law enforcement interference, large, statistically significant declines in police narcotics enforcement around the OPCs were observed.
Meaning These findings suggest that concerns about crime and disorder remain substantial barriers to the expansion of OPCs in US cities, and initial data from NYC do not support these concerns.
Chalfin A, del Pozo B, Mitre-Becerril D. Overdose Prevention Centers, Crime, and Disorder in New York City. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(11):e2342228.
In late 2021, Lieutenant Commander Traci Murray, SAMHSA’s Assistant Regional Administrator for the HHS Region VI office in Dallas, recognized behavioral health leaders were interested in learning more about how to incorporate peers into court systems. LCDR Murray connected with Patti Tobias, a Principal Court Management Consultant for the National Center for State Courts, who saw similar interest among state court partners. Together, they initiated a partnership with subject matter experts to create brief resource guides to inform behavioral health and state court leaders about Peer Specialists working in court settings. Project partners include Roxanne Castaneda MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, Public Health Advisor at SAMHSA, Chan Noether, MA, Director of SAMHSA’s GAINS Center, and SAMHSA’s Peer Recovery Center of Excellence represented by Patricia (Pat) Stilen, MSW, Program Director; Shannon Roberts, MPH, Sr. Program Manager; and Haner Hernandez, Ph.D., CPS, CADCII, LADCI, Steering Committee Member.
This brief serves as an introduction to the concept of peer support, the impact of peer recovery support services, peer certification, and integrating peer support services into your organization.
In late 2021, Lieutenant Commander Traci Murray, SAMHSA’s Assistant Regional Administrator for the HHS Region VI office in Dallas, recognized behavioral health leaders were interested in learning more about how to incorporate peers into court systems. LCDR Murray connected with Patti Tobias, a Principal Court Management Consultant for the National Center for State Courts, who saw similar interest among state court partners. Together, they initiated a partnership with subject matter experts to create brief resource guides to inform behavioral health and state court leaders about Peer Specialists working in court settings. Project partners include Roxanne Castaneda MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, Public Health Advisor at SAMHSA, Chan Noether, MA, Director of SAMHSA’s GAINS Center, and SAMHSA’s Peer Recovery Center of Excellence represented by Patricia (Pat) Stilen, MSW, Program Director; Shannon Roberts, MPH, Sr. Program Manager; and Haner Hernandez, Ph.D., CPS, CADCII, LADCI, Steering Committee Member.
This Court Leadership Brief describes different types of peers in court settings, the roles peers plain in court, lessons from the field with examples of peers in the courts, and links to additional resources.
SAMHSA's National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification
On March 1, 2022, President Biden announced his administration’s strategy to address our nation’s mental health crisis as outlined in the 2022 Presidential Unity Agenda. This national mental health strategy seeks to strengthen system capacity, connect more Americans to care, and create a continuum of support–transforming our health and social services infrastructure to address mental health holistically and equitably.
A primary goal outlined within this strategy is accelerating the universal adoption, recognition, and integration of the peer mental health workforce across all elements of the healthcare system. This included the development and implementation of a national certification program for mental health peer specialists.
To meet this goal, SAMHSA collaborated with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local partners including peer specialists to develop the National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification, inclusive of substance use, mental health, and family peer certifications. These National Model Standards closely align with the needs of the behavioral health (peer) workforce, and subsequently, the over-arching goal of the national mental health strategy.
SAMHSA's Recovery Resources for American Indian and Alaska Natives
SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery and Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy have collaborated to create a website dedicated to sharing Tribal Recovery news, events, and resources.
SAMHSA's Strategic Plan 2023 - 2026
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is pleased to announce the release of the agency’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan which emphasizes a more person-centered approach and introduces a new mission and vision, key priorities and guiding principles. The key priorities are:
The Strategic Plan includes strategic goals and affiliated objectives associated with each key priority. It also integrates four guiding principles (equity, trauma-informed approaches, recovery, and a commitment to data and evidence) across all policies and programs to support SAMHSA in achieving its mission and vision.
This plan not only represents SAMHSA’s thinking as an agency, but also reflects the insightful feedback we have received from our many stakeholders. We hope it informs and guides your planning as you work to develop and implement programs and policies that ensure people living with, affected by, or at risk for mental health and substance use conditions receive care, achieve wellbeing, and thrive.
Funding for this initiative was made possible by grant no. 1H79TI083022 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.