Identifying Guidelines for Peer Recovery Support Providers and Recommendations for Implementation

Description The Department of Health and Human Services, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) and the Program Support Center (PSC) are seeking a qualified source to perform the following requirement. Background The term "peer recovery support provider" ("peer support provider") is an umbrella term for many different peer support/service titles and roles, such as peer leader, peer counselor, peer coach, peer mentor, peer educator, peer support group leader, peer wellness coach, recovery coach, recovery support specialist, and many more. Broadly speaking, a peer support provider is an individual who has made a personal commitment to his or her own recovery from mental and/or substance use disorders, has maintained that recovery over a period of time, has received specialized training to work with others seeking or in recovery, and is able to assist others in initiating and/or sustaining their recovery through others' chosen pathways to recovery. In many states, there is an official certification process (training and test) to become a qualified "peer specialist" or "recovery coach." However, not all states certify peer support providers, although most organizations require peer support providers to complete training that is specific to the expected responsibilities of their role, whether paid or volunteer. A peer provider makes a personal commitment to his or her own recovery and is a role model for others. She or he offers wisdom gained through personal experience to inspire hope, support personal responsibility, promote understanding, offer education, teach specific skills, and promote self-advocacy and self-care. A peer provider must have skills in recovery planning to assists peers seeking recovery to assess their strengths and resources (sometimes referred to as "recovery capital") and develop concrete plans for initiating and/or sustaining recovery through the individual's chosen recovery pathway. Currently, there are no universal minimum practice guidelines for peer support providers. Although thousands of peers have been trained and are working in a wide range of settings, there is confusion regarding their roles, functions, and duties. Moreover, in some settings, peer support providers are not being used appropriately in the workplace (e.g., being used as a messenger or driver), leading to tensions among staff, lack of or poor quality peer support/peer services, and worker burnout. With the advent of new health financing innovations, there will be opportunities for peer providers to play new roles, such as health navigators, and to function in expanded settings, including person-centered health homes. As these new opportunities present themselves, it becomes increasingly important to identify and document universal minimum practice guidelines for peer providers. Practice guidelines will help ensure the quality of services offered by peers and will contribute to improved health outcomes, as well as involvement and satisfaction with services provided. Moreover, because these will be minimum guidelines for peer providers, states and organizations can add to these according to the specific needs and preferences of their settings. Work has begun on developing such guidelines, led primarily by the mental health recovery community. Mental health recovery leaders and mental health consumers and advocates have been systematically engaged in a vetting process for preliminary guidelines. However, within the context of integrated service provision, it is necessary to have a set of universal minimum practice guidelines for providers of peer support for those with mental health, addiction, and co-occurring conditions. At this time, there is an urgent need to garner the involvement and investment of the addiction recovery community in building on the work done by mental health advocates to develop a set of guidelines that will be broadly applicable to peer recovery support providers in mental health, addiction, and co-occurring disorders. More specifically, there is a need to systematically engage recovery community organizations to elicit their input into a set of practice guidelines. Additionally, practice guidelines must be drafted that will be appropriate and acceptable to the broad range of recovery support providers in the mental health and addiction recovery communities. This will involve a systematic and organized effort to engage addiction recovery community organizations and members in a way that is non-threatening and invites participation through a source that is trusted by and credible to the addiction recovery community. Finally, once the practice guidelines are drafted, many steps must be taken to encourage states and organizations to adopt and implement them. Adoption and implementation will be especially challenging in the current health and behavioral health care arena, where new financing strategies, such as health exchanges, changes in Medicaid coverage, and other variables are at play. There is a need for a set of recommendations that states and organizations in an array of settings can follow in their efforts to implement the universal minimum practice guidelines. Purpose The objectives of this initiative are: (1) to identify universal minimum practice guidelines for peer support for those seeking recovery from mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders within the context of health reform; and (2) to develop a report with recommendations for states and organizations on how to adopt and implement the practice guidelines. The specific outcome will be a report that can be disseminated nationally to states, provider organizations, including peer/recovery community organizations, and other interested stakeholders. Project Requirements Looking for a contractor to scan the field to identify previous efforts to identify practice guidelines for the provision of peer support or other closely related fields. Building on previous efforts and in consultation with mental health and addiction recovery experts, draft a set of universal minimum practice guidelines applicable to those providing peer support to individuals seeking or in recovery from mental disorders, substance use disorders, and/or co-occurring disorders. Develop a report containing the universal minimum practice guidelines and recommendations for implementation to disseminate nationally to states, provider organizations, including peer-run/recovery community organizations, and other interested stakeholders. To ensure practice guidelines and implementation recommendations are applicable to settings serving those with mental health and co-occurring disorders, as well as substance use disorders, collaborate and consult with experts in practice guidelines for mental health peer recovery support providers. Period of Performance September 30, 2013 -August 30, 2013 Information Submission Instructions: All inquiries to this "Sources Sought" must be in writing to Ian.Young@psc.hhs.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. All inquiries must be typed in 12 Font. All inquiries submitted electronically should be in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Please keep responses to a maximum of 10 pages, only one copy of responses are necessary. All responses are due by September 18, 2013. All interested sources are encouraged to respond in writing no later than September 18th, 2013. All responses should provide at a minimum: 1. Cover Letter/Capabilities Statement illustrating organization's technical capabilities and expertise, as it relates to the requirements presented in this notice. 2. List of at least 3-5 Past Performance references to include: a. Description of previous work efforts b. Contract number c. Point of contact All inquiries are to be sent to: Ian A. Young, Contract Specialist U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Program Support Center Strategic Acquisition Service 12501 Ardennes Avenue Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20857 Phone (301) 443-2558 Fax: (301) 480-0547 This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.