Since 2017, Altarum has effectively supported the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) as the Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) for peer recovery support services (PRSS). The BJA recognizes Altarum as a national PRSS expert. We have successfully partnered with more than 400 COSSUP grantees to deliver training and technical assistance (TTA) to tribal, state, and local justice, substance use treatment, and public health agencies. In October 2023, the BJA awarded Altarum a new contract, expanding the scope and focus of the TTAC to include additional recovery support services.
Substance use disorder has persisted as an increasingly devastating public health concern over the past three decades. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic and the increase in synthetic opioids has exacerbated this crisis, particularly in Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native populations. PRSS play a significant role in addressing the addiction crisis and fill critical gaps in the behavioral health workforce.
Altarum’s approach to developing PRSS blends a diversity of learning methods and domains to tailor training to the needs of each organization we work with. We provide both one-on-one and group TTA, develop and communicate the role of peers, ensure peer success and wellness, and support team building. In 2023, our PRSS Mentoring Initiative (PRSSMI) collaborated with 10 diverse mentor sites from across the country, including recovery community organizations, health networks, local police departments, rural and tribal communities, and peer-led nonprofits.
PRSSMI pairs an organization new to peer integration with an established PRSS organization, providing peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities. The PRSSMI has enabled more than 100 participants to exchange promising approaches, share effective programming strategies, and receive TTA support.
“Our mentoring initiative has steadily evolved since its inception in 2018,” says Altarum’s Community Health Project Director Tiffany Lombardo. “This year, we had 10 matches and 10 mentor sites from across the country. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation involving our mentees and mentors, yielding overwhelmingly positive feedback—a pivotal highlight in our journey. We’ve set the standard as the model for how to do this within BJA, which is phenomenal for all involved.”
Altarum has more than 25 years of experience successfully implementing TTA and other complex projects on a national scale. We have supported state, tribal, and territorial efforts to respond to substance use, reduce overdose deaths, and support treatment and recovery services. Altarum brings together technical expertise and lived experiences to offer a unique approach to supporting project implementation, enhancement, and evaluation.
Altarum is collaborating with two highly qualified partners on this initiative: Faces & Voices of Recovery (F&V) and Change Matrix (CM). They offer diverse, peer-led perspectives and contribute invaluable expertise to our work. F&V is a national, peer-led, nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing individuals in recovery, their families, and allies, to promote recovery. CM is a woman-owned, minority-owned, small business that works to motivate, manage, and measure change to improve lives. Their team provides skills and experiences in health disparities, equity, and cultural and linguistic competence.
Viable PRSS increase access to substance use and recovery services, decrease social barriers to care, reduce costs, and provide valuable support in navigating complex health and social services systems. Especially in the criminal justice and child welfare systems, individuals can benefit greatly from the support of a peer with lived experiences.
The Peer Recovery Support Services Mentoring Initiative is a powerful force within the recovery movement across the United States. What an amazing experience working alongside other peers, creating innovative techniques to help save lives. I am filled with gratitude to be a part of an initiative that stands by ‘Nothing about us, Without us!’
– A Mentoring Initiative participant sums up Altarum’s impact on PRSS