1. Recovery Support Services
Kelly Champ, Northeast Regional Vice President, Optum Specialty Network Services
Peter Ashenden, Director of Consumer and Family Affairs, Optum
January 30, 2015

2. Introductions: Introductions
Name: Let us know who you are?
Where: Let us know where you are located?
What: Let us know what you do in your work place?
Why: Let us know what your expectations from today’s overview are.

3. Increase knowledge of Recovery Support services for Addiction.
Objectives
Increase knowledge of Recovery Support services for Addiction.
Understand the differences between Recovery Support services and mutual aid groups.
Illustrate Engagement Tools for those Seeking or are in Addiction Recovery.

4. New SAMHSA Definition
Working Definition of Recovery
A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.
Principles of Recovery
Four major domains that support recovery:
Person-driven
Occurs via many pathways
Is holistic
Is supported by peers
Is supported through relationships
Is culturally-based and influenced
Is supported by addressing trauma
Involves individual, family, and community strengths and responsibility
Is based on respect
Emerges from hope
Health: Overcoming or managing one's disease(s) as well as living in a physically and emotionally healthy way.
Home: A stable and safe place to live.
Purpose: Meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income, and resources to participate in society.
Community: Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.

5. The Pillars of Peer Support
Separator slide

6. Five Core Tenants of the Pillars of Peer Support
Education 
Certification
Employment
Professionalism
Community Advocacy
Daniels, A., Bergeson, S., Ashenden, P., Fricks, L., Powell, I.,
Pillars of Peer Support: Advancing the Role of Peer Support Specialists in Promoting Recovery
The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice (2012)

7. Pillars of Peer Support (POPS)
Developed the 25 Pillars of Peer Support (States billing Medicaid)
Phase 1
Promoted Peer Support Services in states that do not bill Medicaid for reimbursement
Phase 2
Whole Health Peer Support Services and Health Reform
Phase 3
(9/2012) Establishment of Standards for Excellence in Peer Support Services
Phase 4
(2013) The Role of Peers in Building Self-Management with Mental Health, Addiction and Family/Child Health Settings
Phase 5
(10/2014) Effective Supervision of Peer Specialists
Phase 6
Pillars of Peer Support reports are available for download at:

8. What Are Peer Coaches?
Peer recovery coaches balance three overarching services roles:
Personal guide and mentor for individuals in or seeking recovery
Connector to instrumental recovery support resources which includes housing, employment and professional and non-professional services
Liaison to formal and informal community supports, resources and recovery supporting activities
The peer recovery coach highlights his/her own “lived” experience.
Family members may also be qualified as peers.
Peer coaches should have specific knowledge and skills that enable them to develop peer practice in ways that help and do not harm, and are authentic process and path of recovery, as determined by the person that is served.

9. What Roles do Peer Coaches have in the system?
They are NOT:
A physician
A talk therapist
A case manager
They are/can be:
A support system
A role model
A provider of hope
A coach for WRAP or other engagement tools
A translator between “doctor talk” and the consumer
A cheerleader

10. Why use a Peer Coach as a part of a Healthcare team?
Isolation: These are illness of isolation, when we isolate we get worse A peer supporter can reduce isolation and connect consumers with other peers.
Support: Often we have stressed family and friend relationship because of the symptoms of the illness. A peer can provider support and access to other peers for needed support.
Internal stigma: These are also illnesses of shame. A peer can normalize the experience and reduce the internal stigma that gets in the way to staying in treatment.
External stigma: Society still sees mental illnesses are frightening and shameful Having a peer who is in recovery can reduce the fear of external stigma.
Hope: Having a role model of a peer who has been there and has moved into wellness is a powerful symbol of hope for consumers struggling with symptoms.

11. The member has difficulty accessing behavioral health or medical care
Who Qualifies for the Peer Coaching Services? The member has a severe and persistent behavioral health condition or substance related disorder, and any one of the following criteria are met:
The member has difficulty accessing behavioral health or medical care
The member is being discharged
The member has difficulty managing activities of daily living including:
Mbr primarily relies on emergency room services
Mbr has had 2 or more inpatient admissions within the last year (MH)
Mbr has had 2 months or greater LOS in IOP and/or 2 or more tx episodes in a 12 month period (SA)
From a lengthy stay in a hospital or facility-based program
Or being released from incarceration
Personal finance;
Personal hygiene;
Nutrition and meal preparation
Home maintenance;
Childcare; or
Legal, housing, transportation, and other community service needs

12. The member has difficulty maintaining
Who Qualifies for the Peer Coaching Services? The member has a severe and persistent behavioral health condition or substance related disorder, and any one of the following criteria are met:
The member has difficulty maintaining
The member lives in an unsafe environment
The member doesn’t have family or social supports
employment
or meeting educational goals
Homeless
Group Home
Shelter
or they are unable to help the member utilize care
or manage the member’s behavioral health condition or substance related disorder

13. Overview of Peer Support Services and Recovery
In this model, the Peer:
Helps the consumer with the development of their goals
Supports the consumer in creating and implementing health strategies
Monitors progress toward the goals
Helps the consumer brainstorm to overcome barriers
Acts as facilitator, teacher and coach, and provides encouragement
For example, if the consumer's health goals are to eat three low fat meals a day, the peer coach may help them find some resources for recipes, might help them plan a week of meals and help them shop, might help them cook, might check in each day to see what barriers they are facing
Or, if the consumer wants to add wheel chair exercises each day, the peer finds a resource to teach the exercises, helps the peer set up a routine that works for them, does the exercise with the peer several times, checks in each day on how they are doing

14. Engagement is THE Key to SUCCESS!

15. Valuable Methods of Engaging an Individual
Meet the person where they are comfortable in the community
Let them know that you too are a person with the lived experience of a substance use issue
Using the person centered assessment support the development of the recovery plan
Identify the resources to meet the recovery goals
Provide linkage and support with needed resources to meet the recovery goals
Average length of stay is 3 to 6 months
Average face to face time with the individual is 3-5 hours per week and is subject to the needs of the person

16. What are the Advantages of Engagement?
Recovery Support Services are social vehicles for recovery.
These services help people initiate and maintain recovery and enhance their quality of life by:
Improving health and wellness
Building recovery capital (internal and external supports that reinforce recovery)
Helping individuals play an active role in managing their recovery
Improving health and recovery outcomes in diverse communities
Reducing relapse rates
Lifting barriers and increases access to medical and other supportive services
Reducing the onset, duration and intensity of symptoms associates with several addiction in adults and at-risk children and adolescents

17. Advantages of Engagement to Recovery Supports
Recovery Planning focuses on these major components:
Recovery from substance use (abstinence)
Living and financial independence
Employment and education
Relationships and social supports
Medical health
Leisure and recreation
Independence from legal problems and institutions
Mental awareness and spirituality

18. Peer Recovery Support Services
Develop the capacity and infrastructure of the organized recovery community to become a full partner and participant
Explore range of options regarding paid and volunteer peers
Expand Peer Recovery Support Services (PRSS) and increase service menu options and points of access
Integrate Peer Recovery Support Services (PRSS) into recovery community and diverse service settings, including treatment

19. Recovery involves three critical elements:
Recovery Supports
Addiction Recovery Support distinguishes the singular goal toward which all efforts are directed.
Recovery involves three critical elements:
Sobriety (abstinence from alcohol, prescribed medications, and unprescribed drugs)
Improvement in global health (physical, emotional, relational, and ontological—life meaning and purpose)
Citizenship (positive participation in and contribution to community life)
Support involves the provision of informational, emotional, instrumental, and/or affiliation.

20. Where are Peer Support Services Located?
Recovery Community Organizations
Recovery Community Centers
Faith Based Organizations
Recovery Schools
Criminal Justice Systems
Emergency Room Departments
Recovery Houses / Oxford Houses
Addiction and Mental Health Agencies
Recovery Ministries
Access to Recovery Grants