NYAPRS Note: The attached document is an examination of current practices in recruiting, retaining, and managing peer support specialists in states throughout the country. OMH Office of Consumer Affairs Director and Deputy Director, John Allen and Joe Swinford, respectively, contributed their support to the authors of this document. We look forward to reviewing the materials, particularly in light of the recently released service manual in which the state defined how peer services would be used in Medicaid Managed Care. Issues such as the appropriate supervision of peer specialists, including culturally competent mechanisms of oversight from a supervisor who understands and respects lived experience, is essential to moving forward the work of peers with integrity.
Enhancing the Peer Provider Workforce: Recruitment, Supervision, and Retention
NASMHPD, 9/15/2014
Peer support is an evidenced based practice that is an important workforce component in behavioral health care. Although peer services have been around for many years, Georgia was the first state to implement peer services as a Medicaid billable service in 1999, and as of July 1, 2014, 32 states plus Washington, D.C., also allow Medicaid reimbursement for these services. With health care reform and the integration of behavioral and primary health, an opportunity exists for peer support services to find a meaningful place in a new venue—primary care. Peer providers can play a meaningful role in primary and behavioral health while simultaneously easing the burden on over-stretched staff due to shortages in the behavioral health workforce.
The toolkit is designed to be brief and guide community providers and state hospital administrators to integrate peer providers into their recovery-oriented services or to expand them. A wealth of material has been written on recruiting and hiring, but very little on supervision and retention. This toolkit will emphasize these two areas. The toolkit includes a list of resources.
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