Where It Really Counts: Feasibility and Potential of the Peer Engaged Empowered Recovery Program for...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Health
• Criminal Justice
• Public Health

Background:

• Substance use disorder (SUD) and recidivism are significant challenges for justice-involved individuals.
• Peer recovery specialists (PRS) offer a promising avenue for support.
• The Peer Engaged Empowered Recovery (PEER) program integrates PRS within a county collaboration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of the PEER program.
• To evaluate the potential effectiveness of team-based PRS services.
• To propose recommendations for program improvement and future implementation.

Main Methods:

• The study included individuals recently released from jail with suspected SUD.
• Participants were assigned to drug court, pretrial probation, or identified as high-risk for recidivism.
• PRS support was provided for six months, with data collected from clients, administrative records, and stakeholders.

Main Results:

• The PEER program successfully identified clients with high needs, including SUD, mental illness, and social determinants of health issues.
• Clients were primarily contacted via phone, despite complex health and social requirements.
• Program sustainability was rated stable, with the exception of funding.

Conclusions:

• The PEER pilot program demonstrated effective targeting of high-need individuals.
• Challenges in contacting clients with complex needs were observed.
• Future PRS services may benefit from risk-stratification based on health and social factors to optimize caseloads, reimbursement, and training.