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Peer Supervision: A Model for Enhanced Vocational and Emotional Support
For many of us in the field of mental health and substance use disorder, the idea of peer services feels like a new and welcome change that brings with it equity and a workforce with a more complete perspective on lived experience. Many people are surprised to learn that peer services have a...
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Peering In: A Look at Mental Health Peer Providers and How They Help People Recover
I believe that recovery is possible. Not just for me, but for EVERYONE. Does this mean that everyone recovers? No, because not everyone is taught the skills to recover. Also, once a person learns the skills, they must choose to use them. My peer specialist colleagues and I can give you a flashlight...
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Your Leadership Style Will Shape Your Organizational Culture
Organizational culture is the collection of values, beliefs, and attitudes that shape the way a firm operates, that is, how its people think, feel, and act (Gutterman, 2025). Organizational culture can evolve, but it is not accidental. It is shaped and sustained by its leadership (Jaiyeola et al.,...
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Addiction Recovery: The Role of Peer and Alumni Support
Behavioral health care has made meaningful progress in evidence-based treatment, yet one of the most persistent challenges remains what happens after discharge. Recovery does not end when a person leaves residential care. In many ways, that is when real-world pressure begins. The transition...
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How Psychiatric Office Support Directly Improves Mental Health Treatment Outcomes
When we evaluate why a patient improves or doesn't, we tend to focus on the method itself. Was the medication the right fit? Was the TMS protocol appropriately calibrated? Was the ketamine dosage well-tolerated? These are the right clinical questions to ask. But the quality of support surrounding...
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Strengthening Peer Services Through Partnership
The expansion of peer-delivered services is one of the most significant developments in behavioral health over the past decade. What was once a rare, little-known role has become mainstream. A 2024 report by the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence estimated that more than 100,000 individuals...
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Integrating Peers in CCBHCs: The Power of Lived Experience
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) have shifted the way we approach treatment and the delivery of behavioral health services. Those who hold the designation of CCBHC have been tasked with providing a person-centered model that combines mental health services, substance use...
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From Access to Engagement: Reimagining the Consumer Experience in Behavioral Health
Behavioral health systems have made significant strides in expanding access to care. Peer services have grown across outpatient clinics, crisis teams, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), and substance use treatment programs. Telehealth has normalized remote care. Patient portals...
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Transforming Crisis Response: Direct EMS Radio Access for Peer Support Teams in Marion County
Behavioral health crises require rapid response, specialized support, and seamless coordination across emergency systems to minimize unwanted outcomes. Yet, in many communities, traditional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workflows delay behavioral health intervention until after transport or...
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Overcoming Barriers to Integrating Peer Support in Mental Healthcare Systems
Peer support is one of the most promising approaches in behavioral health, demonstrating measurable improvements in recovery outcomes for people living with serious mental illness. Yet despite decades of research and growing policy support, peer specialists remain underutilized across many...
