Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Executive Summary:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have published the National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification.
- A peer worker, as defined in this context, is an individual who, through their own experience of substance use or mental health issues, works to assist others.
- The national standards aim to fully incorporate the peer workforce into all facets of the healthcare system.
- HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra emphasized the significant role peer workers play in the recovery process for individuals struggling with behavioral health issues.
- This initiative is in line with Biden’s 2022 State of the Union Address, where he expressed the need to establish a national certification program for peer specialists.
- The development of the national model standards involved collaboration with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local partners, including peer specialists, and also incorporated public comments.
- SAMHSA’s national model standards are intended to guide states, territories, tribes, and others, promoting quality and encouraging alignment across state peer support certifications.
- SAMHSA recently awarded $5.54 million to recovery community organizations to increase the prevalence and quality of long-term recovery support for people with substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring substance use and mental health issues.
Unedited Press Release:
HHS-Publishes-National-Model-Standards-for-Substance-Use-Mental-Health-and-Family-Peer-Worker-CertificationsDownload
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