Why should peer specialists be involved in conducting research?
Peer providers (peer specialists, family partners, and recovery coaches) have lived experience with their own or a family member’s behavioral health challenges. After completing the required training, they are employed to provide peer support to others receiving services in the public mental health or substance use treatment system.
They are a vital part of the behavioral health workforce and evidence of their effectiveness is growing. Researchers at TIEMH have been evaluating initiatives involving peer providers, particularly peer specialists and family partners, since 2009.
To date, our work has focused on evaluating:
- Peer provider training and certification
- Peer provider employment outcomes
- Peer service outcomes
- Learning communities to support peer specialist hiring and recovery orientation of organizations
- Medicaid billing by peer specialists in local mental health authorities
- Consumer-operated service providers and local mental health authorities
- Peer specialist integration
- Peer specialist training and certification programs nationwide
Partners
- Health and Human Services Commission
- Via Hope
- Texas Mental Health Resource
- Peer Specialists
- Family Partners
- Recovery Coaches
- Community Mental Health Centers and State Hospitals
