Use of peer recovery support specialists is a proven model for increasing access to treatment, sustaining recovery, and making real changes in the lives of people suffering from addiction. Studies have found that when a person is engaged in a peer support program, they are more likely to enter recovery and significantly less likely to relapse while engaging with peers. In addition, for those who do relapse, they are re-engaged in treatment at a much faster rate than those not participating in a peer support program (Boisvert, Martin, Grosek, & Clarie, 2008).The use of peer recovery support specialists is continuously expanding into new areas, including emergency departments, substance abuse treatment facilities, recovery housing, outpatient health clinics, health departments, and others. Having a workforce-ready pool of peer recovery support specialists is key to maintaining and growing the valuable use of peers in the addiction and recovery fields.
Recovering individuals often emerge from years of addictive behavior to find themselves bereft of those basic foundational skills necessary to navigate the trials of everyday living, including those necessary to successfully transition into the job market. Skills like interviewing, professional networking, finance, and benefits management, as well as general exposure to a professional work environment may be in short supply for this population. People in recovery with the desire to become peer recovery support specialists need the skills, training, and support to complete this complex and demanding work—rendered more challenging by their own recovery management practices. In the state of Ohio, people working as peers can obtain a certification as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist by completing an online curriculum, a 40-hour in person training, and a certification exam. These trainings are not always accessible throughout the state and the technology and transportation requirements prove to be a barrier for many interested parties.
In addition to a lack of peer support job training resources, Hamilton County was facing a shortage of certified peer recovery support specialists. In 2020, Hamilton County had 72 certified peer recovery support specialists listed on the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services website. This equates to 1 peer for every 11,347 Hamilton County residents. This ratio underscored the necessity of this undertaking, especially when comparing Hamilton County with other Ohio counties facing a similar addiction crisis: Franklin County had 188 certified peers, or 1 for every 7005 residents, and Cuyahoga County had 268, or 1 for every 4608 residents. To meet the growing demand, and to ensure that residents affected by addiction have the help and support they need, Hamilton County needed to increase the number of peer support specialists while ensuring that the people doing this work had the training and resources needed to be successful in their roles.
To address these needs, Hamilton County Public Health partnered with Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati to launch a workforce development program focusing on recruiting, training, and supporting people in recovery from addiction who wanted to work as peer recovery support specialists. The program would provide the state required trainings, along with other workforce trainings such as, resume building, career aptitude testing, and interview skills training. Once a participant was ready, they would be placed in a paid internship working alongside an experienced peer support specialist. This placement included regular supervision with an experienced peer recovery support specialist who acts as a mentor to help guide program participants through the process.
Boisvert, R., Martin, L., Grosek, M., & Clarie, A. J. (2008). Effectiveness of a peer-support community in addiction recovery: participation as intervention. Occupational Therapy International, 205-220.