Peer Support Services in Behavioral Health Facilities: Secondary Analysis From Two National Surveys

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Health Services Research
• Public Health Policy
• Mental Health Services Administration

Background:

• Peer support providers are integral to the behavioral health workforce.
• Evidence shows peer support aids recovery and engagement with services for care recipients.
• Understanding the prevalence of peer support services is crucial for service planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the number of U.S. behavioral health facilities offering peer support services.
• To compare the frequency of peer support services in mental health versus substance use facilities.
• To identify characteristics associated with the provision of peer support.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of data from the National Mental Health Services Survey (N=11,582) and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N=13,585) in 2017.
• Descriptive and comparative analyses of reported services across all 50 U.S. states.
• Examination of facility characteristics linked to peer support service provision.

Main Results:

• Significant state-to-state variation exists in the availability of behavioral health facilities and peer support services.
• Facilities providing substance use treatment reported offering peer support services at more than double the rate (56.6%) of mental health facilities (24.7%).
• Public facilities were more likely to offer peer support services compared to for-profit and nonprofit facilities.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral health facilities serving individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders reported higher rates of peer support provision.
• Inconsistent definitions of peer support across surveys impacted the comparability of findings.
• Further research is needed to standardize definitions and fully understand peer support integration.