Through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions (CoE), NASADAD, in collaboration with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, developed an issue brief on Integrating Peer Support Services Into Substance Use-related Crisis Care. A substance use disorder peer recovery specialist is a trained professional who has knowledge and experience in the recovery process and helps others in similar situations. Peers are a critical component of the crisis continuum, providing empathy and connection during a crisis event, offering support and services during crisis care and referring to treatment and recovery support service after crisis care.
This brief highlights three state initiatives that have integrated peer recovery support services (PRSS) as part of their crisis response to help individuals experiencing substance use-related crises or overdoses. These examples illustrate how PRSS can be effectively integrated using a team-based approach to care and demonstrate how the personal experience and training of peers have shown positive results in referring and connecting individuals in crisis to needed care, preventing further crises and aiding individuals on their path to wellness.