Integrating & Supervising Peer Workers
A peer worker is a person in recovery who has been trained to provide non-clinical, strengths-based supports to people experiencing similar challenges. Peer workers offer direct social and emotional support, help forge connections to clinical care and community resources, and share hope that recovery is possible.
A growing body of research shows the support provided by peer workers benefits people in or seeking recovery in many ways. Peer workers also help behavioral health organizations get better at what they do. Whether organizations employ peers or partner with peer-run organizations, they improve their own capacity to effectively engage and support people living with behavioral health conditions–ultimately improving outcomes.
The functions and needs of peer workers are unique to their role. By preparing and supporting peer workers to participate fully in all aspects of planning, delivering, and evaluating services, organizations demonstrate commitment to recovery. Strong supervision strategies are key to success. C4 staff have experiences as peer workers, supervisors of peer workers, and working in organizations to integrate peers.
We Can Help You
- Share the value and benefits of recovery supports and peer workers
- Increase knowledge, skills, capacity, and infrastructure to integrate peers and peer-run organizations into behavioral health and health care services and systems
- Align policies, procedures, and practices to support and integrate peer workers
- Train peer workers in specific work-related competencies and leadership development
- Develop strategies to hire, supervise, support, and retain peer workers
- Support peer supervisors in:
- Building respectful, safe supervisory relationships and environments
- Maintaining supervisory relationships and connections over time
- Train peer supervisors to support peer workers in:
- Defining roles and responsibilities
- Acquiring competencies
- Navigating the work environment
- Working with colleagues
Learn more about partnering with us.
“[C4-operated] Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) has been instrumental in raising awareness of the need for peer support services. BRSS TACS has done tremendous work to strengthen the infrastructure for peer support services by building the capacity of peer-run organizations, states, tribes, and territories.” -C4 community partner
“[C4-operated] Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) helped us take the first step toward having conversations with other systems serving individuals with substance use issues regarding the integration of peer services and helped us to understand our common ground. We would not have this collaboration without BRSS TACS.” -C4 state partner
Our Experts
Alexander Fidalgo, Peer Support Specialist
Learn More
- Harm Reduction: Compassionate Interventions for Recovery: online course starts February 26, 2024
- Providing Peer Support in Crisis Services—webinar recording hosted by Cheryl Gagne (61:39 minutes)
- Integration and Supervision of Peer Workers—webinar recording hosted by Cheryl Gagne (60:07 minutes)
- Peer Support and Recovery from Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders—video (6:33 minutes)
- Value of Peers—prepared by C4 staff with funding from SAMHSA's Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) project
- Peer Support
- Spanish version: Apoyo entre compañeros
- Family, Parent, and Caregiver Peer Support in Behavioral Health
- Peers Supporting Recovery from Mental Health Conditions
- Spanish version: Recuperación de problemas de salud mental con el apoyo de campañeros
- Peers Supporting Recovery from Substance Use Disorders
- Peer Support
- Core Competencies for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health Services—prepared by C4 staff with funding from SAMHSA's Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) project
- Self-Assessment Tools
- Engages peers in collaborative & caring relationships
- Provides support
- Shares lived experiences of recovery
- Personalizes peer support
- Supports recovery planning
- Links to resources, services & support
- Provides information about skills related to health, wellness & recovery
- Helps peers to manage crises
- Values communication
- Supports collaboration & teamwork
- Promotes leadership & advocacy
- Promotes growth and development
- Self-Assessment Tools
- Supervision of Peer Workers resources: how to use these resources, supervision of peer workers guidelines, slide deck with trainer notes, supervisor self-assessment, supervision resource list—prepared by C4 staff with funding from SAMHSA's Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) project
- Peers Supporting Youth and Young Adult Recovery—prepared by C4 staff with funding from SAMHSA's Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) project
- Integrating Peer Support Workers in Interdisciplinary Care Teams—prepared by C4 staff with funding from SAMHSA's Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) project
- Ethics and Boundaries in Peer Support Services (57:25 minute video recording)
- Equity and Recovery
- Medication-Assisted Treatment/Medication-Assisted Recovery
- Recovery Housing
- Stigma and Recovery
- Criminal Justice System Reform & Re-Entry Supports
- Recovery-Oriented Systems
- Opioid Overdose Prevention and Support
- Pregnancy and Recovery
- Substance Use and Mental Health Recovery Supports
- Substance Use Prevention and Early Intervention
More about our expertise and our training and technical assistance approaches and offerings.