Forensic peer specialists are Certified Peer Specialists who utilize their own history of criminal justice system involvement and mental health recovery to deliver services related to behavioral health and criminal justice system involvement. Forensic peer specialists are trained using the Sequential Intercept Model, a conceptual framework that works to address five points to assist individuals with mental illnesses interfacing with the criminal justice system: law enforcement; initial hearings, jails and courts, reentry into society after release from jail or prison; and probation or supervision. In addition to supporting recovery, forensic peer specialists can help their clients to reduce recidivism and help with reentry into the community.
For more information about the sequential intercept model, see: https://www.prainc.com/sim/
For more information about forensic peer specialists, see:
Adams, W. E., & Lincoln, A. K. (2019). Forensic Peer Specialists: Training,Employment, and Lived Experience. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal.