Peer Support Specialists

Lived-experience peer recovery workers have become a recognised, credentialed workforce within addiction treatment. The session covers state and national peer certification standards, the evidence base for peer recovery services in emergency departments, primary care and post-discharge transitions, training and supervision models, Medicaid billing pathways established through 2024 CMS rules, and the integration of peers into trauma response and crisis-line systems. Discussion addresses workforce equity, peer mental-health support and burnout, peer credentialing in correctional settings, the SAMHSA peer-support technical assistance centre, and the workforce-development pipeline including peer-to-counselor pathways across multiple US states.