What Are Peer Recovery Support Services?
Peer recovery support services are non-clinical supports designed to help individuals achieve and sustain long-term recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs).
These services are delivered by peers in recovery, often called peer recovery coaches, who combine their lived experience with specialized training and supervision to assist others on their recovery journey.
Key Functions of Peer Recovery Support:
Provides person-centered, strength-based recovery assistance
Supports development of recovery capital (internal and external resources)
Complements or can serve as an alternative to clinical treatment
Helps individuals maintain long-term recovery through ongoing engagement
Peer recovery supports are vital in the recovery-oriented system of care, ensuring that recovery extends beyond acute treatment into sustained personal and community wellness.
What Do Peer Recovery Coaches Do?
Peer recovery coaches walk side by side with individuals seeking recovery.
They help people create and manage personalized recovery plans, build community connections, and strengthen self-determination.
Types of Support Provided:
Emotional: Empathy, active listening, and shared understanding
Informational: Guidance and referrals to recovery and wellness resources
Instrumental: Practical help such as finding housing or employment
Affiliational: Connection to recovery communities, meetings, and events
Guiding Principles:
Rooted in hope, health, and wellness
Focused on long-term recovery, not just symptom reduction
Promotes self-actualization, community engagement, and quality of life
Settings Where Coaches Work:
Recovery community centers and residences
Drug courts and justice settings
Hospital emergency departments
Child welfare agencies and homeless shelters
Behavioral health and primary care clinics
“Peer support helped me see that I was not hopeless. It gave me my voice back and bolstered my self-worth.” — Michelle
“When I needed someone to walk beside me, peer support was there.” — Steve
Is Peer Recovery Coaching Effective?
While research continues to grow, multiple studies and systematic reviews demonstrate positive outcomes from peer-delivered recovery supports (Bassuk et al., 2016; Reif et al., 2014).
Documented Benefits Include:
Increased satisfaction with treatment
Improved relationships with providers
Greater treatment retention
Better access to social supports
Reduced substance use and relapse rates
Fewer emergency service visits and re-hospitalizations
Lower criminal justice involvement
Greater housing stability
In Summary
Peer recovery coaches are a cornerstone of recovery-oriented systems.
They model hope, accountability, and connection, supporting people not only in achieving sobriety but in rebuilding purpose, relationships, and community.
Key References
Bassuk, E. L., Hanson, J., Greene, R. N., Richard, M., & Laudet, A. B. (2016).
Reif, S., et al. (2014).
Boisvert, R. A., Martin, L. M., Grosek, M., & Claire, A. J. (2008).
Mangrum, L. (2008).
Rowe, M., et al. (2007).
Kamon, J., & Turner, W. (2013).
(Full reference list available in original PDF.)