Peer Support in Practice: Workplace Strategies and Professional Development

• By: Christopher Doherty, CRPA Jill Mastrandrea, LMHC, CASAC New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center (NYPCC)
• April 21st, 2026
• behavioral health, onboarding, peer drift, peer support, professional development, role clarity, Spring 2026 Issue, supervision, workforce development
• 1750    0

The field of peer support is quickly gaining prominence and visibility across the domains of behavioral health and substance use services. Georgia was the first state to provide Medicaid-billable mental health peer services in 1999 - it was not until 2012 that Medicaid billing was authorized for...

Measuring What Matters in Peer Support: Using Competencies and Fidelity to Strengthen the Workforce

• By: Megan Evans, PhD Kristine Irizarry, MBA Sai Snigdha Talluri, PhD, CRC, LPC Graziela Reis, MPH, BS Chyrell D. Bellamy, PhD, MSW Yale School of Medicine
• April 21st, 2026
• behavioral health research, core competencies, fidelity measurement, peer fidelity, peer support, peer support measure, peer workforce development, recovery-oriented care, Spring 2026 Issue, supervision, training
• 2055    0

Introduction: The Next Phase of Peer Support Development Peer support, a cornerstone of recovery-oriented behavioral healthcare, is a rapidly expanding service model nationally. Delivered by individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges, substance use, trauma, or disability, peer...

Creating a Family Peer Support and Services Workforce

• By: Marleen Litt, LCSW Yudelca De la Cruz, MSEd Onicka Miller Veronica Worley JCCA
• July 1st, 2019
• behavioral health, caregiver advocacy, credentialing, family peer support, Medicaid services, supervision, vicarious trauma, workforce development
• 2300    0

For the caregiver of a Medicaid-eligible child who has a behavioral diagnosis, or demonstrated loss of a physical health diagnosis, Children & Family Support & Services (CFTSS) provide unprecedented support, advocacy and resources. On July 1, 2019, the fourth CFTSS component, Family Peer...

Investing in the Integrated Care Workforce

• By: Andrew Philip, PhD Laura Heath, MD, MPH, NYAM Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC)
• July 1st, 2019
• behavioral health, clinical competency, integrated care, interprofessional collaboration, primary care, serious mental illness, supervision, workforce development
• 1814    0

It is no longer a new idea that the mind and body are intrinsically connected; Socrates via Plato, described this around 360 B.C. Yet, we still separate and silo these aspects of care; treating behavioral health needs like schizophrenia in mental health clinics and physical issues like diabetes in...

Effective Supervision: An Essential Component to Enhancing Consumer Outcomes

• By: David Kamnitzer, LCSW-R Institute for Community Living (ICL)
• April 1st, 2016
• behavioral healthcare, care coordination, collaboration, consumer outcomes, person-centered care, recovery, supervision, workforce training
• 1785    0

The behavioral healthcare industry is facing a monumental time of change. The mental health field in particular is faced with putting more responsibility on consumers to drive their own treatment. No longer, it seems, will a person with mental health challenges be cared for in a prescriptive, or...

Supporting Peer Specialists

• By: Thomas Grinley, MS, MBA, CMQ/OE, LSSGB, CCISM NH Bureau of Behavioral Health
• April 1st, 2016
• behavioral health workforce, mental health services, peer providers, peer support, recovery, stigma, supervision, workforce training
• 1779    0

An increasingly common workforce issue is preparing “traditional” providers for working beside peer providers, that is, individuals with the lived experience of mental health issues. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) defines a peer provider as “a person who...