Overview

Peer services allow individuals to draw from their personal experiences to provide help and support to those in similar circumstances. Integrating peer support into the service delivery system of addiction treatment programs helps to advance the needs of individuals and families across the various stages of recovery. 

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Video: Cynthia is a recovery peer advocate. She goes into what that entails and how she got into this line of work.

 

Organizational Readiness

OASAS has developed a tool to help outpatient providers assess their readiness to integrate non-clinical peer support services within their programs. There is no score; rather, the assessment is designed to help providers identify their current capacity to implement peer support services. The tool contains embedded resource links that may be helpful to providers as they explore the integration of peers.

After completing the tool, you may wish review your findings with staff or share your readiness assessment with OASAS Recovery bureau staff via email.

Peer Integration Tool-Kit

The New York State Peer Integration and the Stages of Change Tool Kit is a how-to for OASAS Outpatient providers. It offers in-depth insight integrating peer services into their recovery approach using the Stages of Change model. The new toolkit was developed with the support of the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) project to support the planning, adoption, and expansion of sustainable recovery-oriented supports and services. 

Peer Integration Tool Kit- OASAS provides insights on integrating peer services into your recovery approach using the Stages of Change model.

Guidance

OASAS, in collaboration with the Clinical Advisory Panel, has revised outpatient provider guidance on the delivery of peer support services. The new guidance notes a forthcoming increase in reimbursement rates and the lifting of limits on the number of units of service that may be delivered in one day.

Additional OASAS guidance to help outpatient organizations conduct and bill for in-community services 

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    Peer Employee Evaluation Form

    Peer supervisors and advocates (CPRAs) may use this tool to regularly assess peers' progress in meeting core competencies and tailor coaching to ensure better outcomes.

     

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