OWR releases plan to strengthen peer support services statewide

The Hawaiʻi Office of Wellness and Resilience has released a new framework report that will be used to guide the development, implementation and sustainability of peer support services statewide.

Developed over 10 months by the Peer Support Specialist Working Group created under Act 88 (2024), the plan is a road-map for formalizing programs that help people navigate mental health challenges, substance use recovery, housing instability and justice system involvement.

“Peer support offers a powerful approach to healing, recovery and systems navigation that cannot be replicated through clinical services alone,” Gov. Josh Green said in a statement Tuesday.

The framework covers several key recommendations, starting with clearly defining job roles for different types of peer support workers—such as adult, youth, family and parent partner peer specialists—and outlining a three-tiered career-advancement structure, in which, peer mentors may become certified specialists and peer supervisors; each tier has its own compensation recommendation outlined in the framework.

Training and certification standards are also recommended based on the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Model Standards, plus specialized tracks for different peer roles. The framework includes best practices for supporting peer specialists through reflective supervision, professional development and wellness-focused approaches.

The working group recommended that peer support positions be created across multiple state departments—including the Departments of Health, Human Services, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Education and the Judiciary—and urged the state to explore Medicaid and other state and federal funding streams as long-term funding options for peer support services.

According to research cited by the Office of Wellness and Resilience, peer support services may improve relationships with care providers, reduce the need for costly hospital stays, help people stay engaged in care and improve recovery.

The working group consisted of peer support specialists, state agency staff and community organization representatives from across the islands. Members began meeting in September 2024, focusing on training standards, supervision practices and identifying existing peer support programs statewide.

“This framework honors the contributions of those with lived experience in our systems and builds on what has been accomplished, to recommend ways we can create real workforce pathways for peer support specialists that are valued and sustainable,” said Tia Roberts Hartsock, chair of the working group and director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience. 

The group conducted surveys of current peer support specialists and collected input from dozens of community organizations serving various populations across the islands, to compile into the framework report.

The Office of Wellness and Resilience announced it will lead and coordinate the implementation of the framework in partnership with state agencies, community partners and peer specialists, with immediate priorities being to establish a peer support hub to coordinate training, certification and technical assistance, to develop a detailed implementation plan and to expand engagement with diverse stakeholders to ensure alignment with the framework’s vision.

The framework builds on the longtime efforts by the Department of Health’s Adult Mental Health Division (AMHD), which has maintained a Hawaiʻi Certified Peer Specialist program since 2012, as well as by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division (CAMHD) Youth Partners program.

“The Office of Wellness and Resilience is committed to advancing peer support as a key principle of trauma-informed care,” said Director Roberts Hartsock. “It plays a critical role in our journey toward becoming a trauma-informed state and we look forward to working alongside the peer support specialist community to strengthen and celebrate this essential work in the years ahead.”

The full report and working group materials are available on the state Office of Wellness and Resilience website.