Peer Support in Behavioral Health Presentation to the Mental Health Caucus Adrienne Shilton, CBHDA April 20, 2016

“When you talk to people who have been through these programs and ask them what helped them, it is not the drugs, not the diagnosis. It's the lasting, one-on-one relationships with adults who listen….”

Examples of Peer Support Peer mentoring or coaching—A one-on-one relationship in which a peer with recovery experience encourages, motivates, and supports a peer in recovery; Peer resource connecting—Connecting peer with professional and nonprofessional services available in the community; Recovery group facilitation—Leading recovery-oriented group activities, including support groups and educational activities; and Building community—Peers build healthy social networks through emotional, informational, and affiliation types of peer support.

Peer Support is an Evidence-Based Practice Studies demonstrate peer support reduces hospitalizations and hospital days, improves client functioning, reduces family concerns, and alleviates depression and other symptoms. In Alameda County, a Peer Mentoring project provided 40 hours of training to 26 peers and matched them with people released from psychiatric hospitals. Those accepting a peer mentor experienced a 72% reduction in readmissions to the hospital. The cost savings for Alameda County was over a million dollars with an initial investment of $238K- making a 470% return on investment.

Peer Support Offers Tremendous Benefits Peers can be used as health-care navigators to facilitate access to needed services; Peer assistance improves treatment outcomes, and service treatment efficiency; Peers can facilitate integration and coordination of services across mental health and health care sectors; and Peers offer a strong ability to diversify and extend the mental health workforce.

Peer Health Navigators in Los Angeles Peer Health Navigators connect consumers to mental health, primary care, substance use, and specialty health care services; teaches them to advocate for themselves and effectively communicate their needs; and creates a follow-up plan and other self-management skills. Peer Health Navigators step away from participant once the modeling/coaching process is successful.

Peer Run Center in Santa Cruz “2nd Story” is a federally-funded, peer-run crisis center in Santa Cruz. The length of stay is no longer than 14-days, and guests are encouraged to maintain their “normal” life (school, work) during their stay. 2 nd Story is proving to be a key preventative service in Santa Cruz that reduces the need for crisis residential and other stabilization services.

In-Home Outreach Team (IHOT) in San Diego IHOT facilitates voluntary access to mental health services. IHOT teams consist of a Peer Specialist, family members, and a case manager. They provide in-home outreach to adults with serious mental illness who are reluctant or resistant to receiving mental health services. IHOT also provides support and education to family members or caretakers of IHOT participants. Teams serve a combined consumers per year ( per team).

Where do we go from here? California is just starting to understand the value of peer services as part of both mental health care and primary health care. Training and workforce development is needed. SB 614 (Leno): Establishment of Peer Certification.

Contact Adrienne Shilton Director, Intergovernmental Affairs County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California , ext