What is a Peer Recovery Support Program?

Peer recovery support services provide social support for recovery. They promote engagement in the recovery process and reduce relapse once recovery has been initiated. Because they are designed and delivered by peers––persons who have experienced a substance use disorder and recovery––they embody a powerful message of hope, as well as a wealth of experiential knowledge. They effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday environment of those seeking to achieve or sustain recovery. SAMHSA lists five hallmarks of what a peer recovery support program should contain and the include: 1) Facilitating Participatory Processes, 2)Conducting Strength-based Community Assessments, 3) Cultivating and Supporting Leaders, 4)Developing Peer-based Ethics and Peer Supervision and, 5) Evaluating programs and outcomes. Peer recovery is not 12-step support — it is much more enhanced and nuanced than this because all activities are linked back to a treatment program. Peer recovery support services can be voluntary or paid and can be a valuable, additional component to full recovery services.

ACCESS THIS RESOURCE from the PCSS Implementation Project

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