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Peer Support: Research and Reports
Peer support has existed in behavioral health for decades. Its rapid growth in recent years is for good reason. Research and experience show that peer support specialists have a transformative effect on both individuals and systems. Peer support has been shown to:
- Improve quality of life,
- Improve engagement and satisfaction with services and supports,
- Improve whole health, including chronic conditions like diabetes,
- Decrease hospitalizations and inpatient days, and
- Reduce the overall cost of services
Peer support empowers people to make the best decisions for them and to strive towards their goals in their communities. Peers are an essential component of recovery-focused systems and are key across settings and stages of recovery.
New research in peer support:
- A survey of 319 certified peer specialists in Michigan found that, while most were satisfied with their workplaces, the majority report low pay with limited career growth. (Psychiatric Services; October 2018). [FULL ABSTRACT]
- A study followed 401 individuals who used peer-staffed crisis respite centers compared to 1,796 who did not. Results showed that over a year-long period those who utilized peer-run crisis respites has 2.9 fewer hospitalizations and saved an average of $2,138 per Medicaid-enrolled month in Medicaid expenditures. (Psychiatric Services; August 2018). [FULL ABSTRACT]
- A study from the UK found that individuals given a workbook about recovery along with ten sessions of peer support were less likely to be hospitalized compared to those given a workbook without peer support. (The Lancet; August 2018). [FULL ABSTRACT]
Click on the topics below to check out reports and research.
Overview
- Evidence for Peer Support, Mental Health America (2019)
- Revisiting the Rationale and Evidence for Peer Support, Psychiatric Times (2018)
- Value of Peers, SAMHSA (2017)
- Peer Support Services Improve Clinical Outcomes by Fostering Recovery and Promoting Empowerment, Optum (2016)
- Global Evidence for Peer Support: Humanizing Health Care, Peers for Progress (2014)
- Lessons from Peer Support Among Individuals with Mental Health Difficulties: A Review of the Literature, Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health (2012)
- Peer support among persons with severe mental illnesses: a review of evidence and experience, World Psychiatry (2012)
- Best Practices Identified for Peer Support Programs, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury (2011)
Workforce and integration
- Emerging Roles for Peer Providers in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2018)
- Peer Workers in the Behavioral and Integrated Health Workforce: Opportunities and Future Directions, American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2018)
- Peer Support Toolkit, City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (2017)
- Best Practices for Effectively Integrating Peer Staff in the Workplace, New York State Office of Mental Health (2017)
- National Survey of Compensation Among Peer Support Specialists, The College for Behavioral Health Leadership (2016)
- Guidelines for the Practice and Training of Peer Support, Mental Health Commission of Canda (2016)
- Peer Specialist Training & Certification Programs: National Overview 2016, Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health at the University of Texas at Austin (2016)
- Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health Services, SAMHSA (2015)
- Enhancing the Peer Provider Workforce: Recruitment, Supervision, and Retention, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (2014)
- Advocating and Planning for a Behavioral Health Peer Support Program, Peers for Progress (2014)
- Meaningful Roles for Peer Providers in Integrated Healthcare: A Guide, California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies (2014)
- Benefits of Working as Certified Peer Specialist: Results from a Statewide Survey, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal (2013)
- National Practice Guidelines for Peer Supporters, International Association of Peer Supporters (2013)
- Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and SubstanceUse Conditions: Quality Chasm Series, National Academies Press (2006)
- Consumer Operated Services Program (COSP) Multisite Research Initiative Overview and Preliminary Findings, Missouri Institute of Mental Health (2004)
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