Increasingly, peer recovery support services are an important—and sometimes central—part of efforts to effectively address the substance abuse epidemic. Peer-based services can be a vital part of the continuum of care for efforts to address alcohol and drug abuse—including opioid and stimulant misuse.

The Peer Recovery Support Services Mentoring Initiative (PRSSMI)—a special learning opportunity offered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP)—supports programs, organizations, and jurisdictions interested in incorporating peer recovery support services (PRSS) into their portfolios of substance abuse intervention and treatment strategies. The purposes of PRSSMI are to:

• Promote peer-to-peer learning among organizations that are implementing PRSS in criminal justice settings.
• Disseminate evidence-supported PRSS programming, promising approaches, and best practices.
• Enhance the capacity to develop PRSS as a component of organizations' diversion, alternatives to incarceration, or other criminal justice-focused programs.
• Improve ability to successfully implement a PRSS program, in collaboration with community partners.

PRSSMI provides an opportunity for new or early-stage peer programs to be matched with and learn from an experienced program in a structured way. Mentee sites receive consultation and support from the staff of experienced programs, culminating in visits to mentor sites (PRSSMI will cover travel for up to three persons). Mentee sites are expected to:

• Engage a consistent team of three to five individuals.
• Participate in virtual meetings and learning sessions throughout the mentorship (approximately once per month).
• Have at least two team members participate in site visits to the assigned mentor sites.
• Develop a brief workplan for program development based on lessons learned from the mentorship.
• Complete a survey questionnaire at the end of the mentorship.

Listen to “The Power of Peers: Highlighting the Peer Recovery Support Services Mentoring Initiative” podcast, showcasing two mentor sites and two mentee sites that participated in the PRSSMI last year.
Audio Transcript

All questions MUST be answered for your submission to be considered. Further details on the PRSSMI program and application process are available on the Mentor Program FAQs and Mentee Program FAQs. For questions not addressed by these documents or for tailored assistance, please contact Erin Etwaroo at Erin.Etwaroo@altarum.org.