Developing the Workforce

A central player in the integrated care team is the peer recovery support member. This position is especially valuable for peers seeking to gain professional experience in the health care field and will aid in the increasing professionalization of the allied health worker. Here is how I envision the Peer Recovery Support staff member(s) working within and adding to our integrated health care team.

 
The peer recovery support position (PRS) partners with the Health & Wellness Program to provide the following types of service.

• Wellness coaching. PRS partners will be able to provide wellness coaching—that is, providing one-on-one or group counseling to help patients obtain their personal health objectives. This service will complement the rich array of wellness activities planned for the Health & Wellness program, including Yoga, music and art therapy, health cooking classes and cardiovascular exercise programs.  

 

• Recovery education and support. PRS partners will lead or co-lead self-help recovery services, perhaps even based on the 12-Step model.

• Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Leadership. PRS partners will be trained to lead or co-lead 6-week-long CDSMP workshops which instruct participants on ways in which to better manage their chronic illnesses, whether they are physical or emotional in nature. The Stanford University CDSMP model will be used for this instruction.

• Marketing. PRS partners will be able to assist with development of marketing and recruitment materials, including social and print media. CHD Health & Wellness has a Facebook and main webpage that require regular updating. PRS partners with interest in this work will be invited to update the pages, provide content and assist in designing other marketing materials.  

• Medical assistance. For PRS partners with a strong interest in health care, opportunities will be made available for assisting with obtaining patients’ vital signs, scheduling patient visits, collecting personal health information and arranging for medical taxi transport to and from visits.