38

of credentials for peer recovery specialists. Training and technical assistance, including through SAMHSA’s National Peer-Run Training and Technical Assistance Center for Addiction Recovery Peer Support, are also indispensable to efforts to develop capacity and help states, organizations, and peer recovery support workers adopt more consistent standards nationally. Accessible and affordable training for individuals seeking to become peer specialists is essential to developing the peer workforce. More consistent standards for peer workers and for organizations through which PRSS are offered will also improve quality, create opportunities for reciprocity of credentials from one jurisdiction to another, and facilitate funding from public and private insurers with national or multi-state regional coverage areas. When provided by an institution of higher education, training to become a peer specialist can be reimbursed under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. While this is a valuable resource that should be expanded, training provided by an institution of higher education may not be accessible or culturally appropriate to all those seeking to become a peer support worker. For many prospective peer workers, educational loans may be inaccessible, and, to them, higher education settings may seem far removed from the world in which they will operate and the experience they will bring to bear in their work. A broader array of training and technical assistance will be needed to develop the peer workforce. A. Expand PRSS capacity and foster the adoption of more consistent standards for the peer workforce, RCCs, RCOs, and similar peer-led organizations. (Agencies Involved: HHS/CMS, HRSA, IHS, SAMHSA; Labor/ETA, ODEP; VA/VHA) SAMHSA, with support from ONDCP, CMS, and HRSA, should convene key federal partners and external stakeholders with a role in developing peer workforce and RCO/ RCC capacity and applicable credentialing and accreditation standards. Examples of external stakeholders germane to this effort include: the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP); the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC); the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) and its certification arm, the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC-AP); the Association of Recovery Community Organizations (ARCO); the Council on Accreditation of Peer Recovery Support Services (CAPRSS); the Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification (GCCC); and, the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) Through this process, SAMHSA should develop recommendations for: (1) expanding the capacity of the existing workforce and peer organizational infrastructure through training, technical assistance, and related efforts; and, (2) promoting the adoption of more consistent credentialing and accreditation standards and improving quality across states nationally, taking into consideration existing national peer certification and recovery support service provider organization accreditation standards. Recommendations could include support to states, RCCs, RCOs, and other entities through existing federallyfunded training and technical assistance providers, such as the Addiction Technology Transfer Network, the technical assistance contracts for various federal discretionary « « « « « « 68 NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY grant programs, and the National Peer-Run Training and Technical Assistance Center for Addiction Recovery Peer Support. Upon approval of the plan, SAMHSA should spearhead efforts to implement recommendations, reporting periodically on progress. Capacity-building through training, technical assistance, and adoption of more consistent credentials and standards for peer workers, recovery community centers, and other entities providing PRSS could allow for expanded public and private insurance coverage, improved quality overall, and permit greater reciprocity of credentials across state lines to support increased workforce mobility in response to evolving needs. B. Foster the adoption of more consistent recovery housing standards. (Agencies Involved: DOJ/CRD, OJP; HHS/ASPE, HRSA, SAMHSA; HUD; ONDCP; USDA/RD) More consistent recovery housing standards across states would help prevent exploitation of residents and funders by unscrupulous operators, better ensure quality across states, and help consumers, addiction professionals, and payers identify quality recovery residences. SAMHSA and the Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should colead efforts to promote adoption of nationally recognized recovery residence standards, engaging stakeholders such as National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), Oxford House, NASADAD, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the National Governors’ Association (NGA), the National Association of Counties (NACO), and the ONDCP Model State Drug Law contractor, Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA), which convened a consultative process through which a Model State Recovery Residence Certification Act was developed in 2021. 296 Standards should ensure that people following all recovery 

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14  15   16   17   18   19   20   21    22   23   24   25  26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49  50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65