BSAS & Transcom Peer Support Documents

Both BSAS and Transcom released documents this week that are making their way through the recovery community. They attempt and do a pretty good job defining the role of a Peer Recovery Coach (PRC).

Adcare sent out the following announcement last week:

"We’d like to share two very important documents that we are circulating throughout the state in an effort to help the substance addictions provider world understand what recovery coaching is all about. We hope it will inform the development of Recovery Coach job descriptions and impact the development of hiring practices. Please read the BSAS Recovery Coach one pager and a Transcom Peer Recovery Coach Brief and share with as many people as you can. This is in an effort to ensure that the recovery coach job/roles keeps fidelity to the peer model. If you have any questions, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Julia Ojeda, BSAS Recovery Support Services Coordinator."

Both documents are similar in content with minor stylistic differences.

BSAS writes in the introductory paragraph, "Peer Recovery Coaches (PRC) are an emerging workforce in MA.  It is important to understand the definition of recovery coaches, the parameters of the role, how to best utilize recovery coaches in a variety of settings, and the need for supervision, training, and certification of recovery coaches."

For their part Transcom (Transformation Committee) writes, "This Transcom Peer Recovery Coach (RC) Brief provides Massachusetts decision and policy makers with the voice and vision of individuals in recovery regarding Recovery Coaches. Transcom is a broad-based coalition of diverse mental health and substance use stakeholders who are committed to building consensus and strengthening recovery supports throughout the Commonwealth that are person-driven and sustainable. It was initially established to support the Massachusetts’ Center for Medicaid Services Mental Health Systems Transformation Grant and continues as a subcommittee of the Massachusetts State Mental Health Planning Council. Transcom has supported developing the Peer Support Workforce over the past 14 years, more recently Peer Recovery Coaches."

These are great documents if you need to explain to someone such as a recoveree, clinical staff, or your boss what it is you do. Or if you happen to be a Peer Recovery Coach in this ever changing and immeasurable environment, you can finally figure out for yourself what it is you actually do and what's expected of you - at least according to BSAS and Transcom, and at least for now.

Both documents are available for download below.

Transcom Brief: Peer Recovery Coaches

Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services
Peer Recovery Coaches