THE IMPORTANCE OF PEER SUPPORT DENISE CAMP ALWF, CPS, CPRS, CCAR-T, WHAM ON OUR OWN of MARYLAND MAPCB

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT PEER SUPPORT IS… OUR EXPERIENCE PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW THAT IT WON’T BE ALL OVER THE CENTER!

Although it may seem that Peer Support is like any other service in the behavioral health system, it has unique benefits.

AS A PEER SUPPORTER, WE CAN… Reach out and connect with the individual on personal perspective level Empower the individual to make the decisions about how to engage in a Peer Support Relationship Build trust and trustworthiness Share our experiences with treatment and life struggles Address and respect boundary issues Be understanding to the person who is having a hard time

BENEFITS OF USING PEER SUPPORT Help engage people into care Demystify the system Reduce the use of ERs Reduce substance use Increase participants' sense of hope, control, and ability to effect changes in their lives Encourage self-care, increase the sense of community belonging and satisfaction with various life domains Decrease participants' level of depression, anxiety, and psychosis Facilitate knowledge, skills, encouragement, and linkages to resources

Peer Support Communication is different We use “I” statements and speak from our own experience, not that of authority over the person We talk about what is true for us without assuming anything about the other person. We listen without labeling and diagnosing.

MARYLAND’S CERTIFIED PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST CREDENTIAL Approved by the State in October 2013 Went live Nov. 1, 2013 Credential is administered by MAPCB and aligned with IC&RC Requires 500 hours of peer support work Requires a minimum of 46 of training in the four Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) Domains 10 each in Advocacy, Mentoring/Education and Recovery/Wellness Support 16 hours in Ethical Responsibility Approximately 60 peers grandfathered into credential; future applicants take an exam

There have been several studies on the efficacy of peer support and more are being done. Narrative information from two studies are included.

In the June 2012 issue of World Psychiatry, Davidson L, Bellamy C, Guy K, and Miller write in their article entitled “Peer support among persons with severe mental illnesses: a review of evidence and experience” that “In its more recent form, peer support is rapidly expanding in a number of countries and, as a result, has become the focus of considerable research. Thus far, there is evidence that peer staff providing conventional mental health services can be effective in engaging people into care, reducing the use of emergency rooms and hospitals, and reducing substance use among persons with co-occurring substance use disorders. When providing peer support that involves positive self-disclosure, role modeling, and conditional regard, peer staff have also been found to increase participants' sense of hope, control, and ability to effect changes in their lives; increase their self-care, sense of community belonging, and satisfaction with various life domains; and decrease participants' level of depression and psychosis.”

A Cochrane Database System Review in March 2013 by Pitt and Colleagues assessed the effects of employing current or past adult consumers of mental health services as providers of mental health services. The second type of intervention included in this study had consumer providers as an adjunct to usual care. This included 4 studies in which consumer-providers worked as mentors or in advocacy roles and 2 in which consumer-operated services were integrated with traditional mental health services in addition to usual care.

For this group of studies, a key point to emphasize was the effect of consumer-provider services on service utilization. As defined on the Peers for Progress website “Peer support refers to practical, social, emotional, ongoing support from a person who shares similar experiences with a disease or health problem. Peer support is a powerful and affordable tool for facilitating the kind of knowledge, skills, encouragement, and linkages to resources that people need to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors.” When the use of care is not measured as part of a peer support or consumer-provider service, it does not take advantage of the increased comfort participants may feel taking advantage of their healthcare systems. Increased access to care may allow participants with mental health conditions to receive the ongoing support and preventive services necessary to reduce hospitalizations and crisis care for their condition. Of the 3 studies measuring hospitalization data in this second group, one found reduced number of hospitalizations, shorter stays and overall lower use of services

In conclusion, peer support can be helpful in engaging a person in the treatment process. And like other community based services it MUST BE FULLY FUNDED. Community providers and peer-run services cannot continue to be asked to serve more people with ever decreasing resources and funding and expect to produce positive outcomes.