Recovery organizations have long-provided critical services to the clients they serve. From in-patient programs to Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs), the support and services that are offered to individuals suffering from Substance Use Disorder are absolutely dire. While the already-existing network of organizations reaches far and wide, this epidemic continues to grow at alarming rates. In the last year there was a professional workforce shortage of 40% in the recovery industry. What these numbers signify is that there are too many individuals suffering from Substance Use Disorder for the existing recovery organizations to keep up with. This is where the Kyros solution was introduced. Kyros offers reinforcing support, like peer recovery services, to help organizations better serve their clients. In this post, we’ll talk a bit more about what peer recovery services are and how Kyros is offering peer recovery services as a solution for many of their current partners.
What are Peer Recovery Services, and Why Do They Matter?
Peer recovery services include a wide range of activities that encompass the social support necessary for individuals experiencing an SUD to navigate recovery plans and remove barriers to success. For more information on peer recovery services, check out our post that breaks down what these services are. Peer recovery services are instrumental in helping individuals suffering from SUD to achieve long-term success. From fulfilling basic needs such as securing adequate housing to improving one’s self-esteem – peer recovery services are the wrap-around services that assist individuals in living abundantly in recovery.
How Could Peer Services Benefit Your Organization?
We partner with recovery organizations in a variety of ways. One of the opportunities that we offer our partners is peer recovery services. Peer recovery services are unique in that they can be offered in an a-la carte style – some clients may require additional services while others do not. Peer services can also be utilized on-demand, and as frequently as necessary. Best of all, the services we offer are completely FREE to your organization and the clients within. While there are unlimited benefits to utilizing peer services, here are some of the most common ways our partner organizations and their clients utilize these support services
- Transportation: Assisting clients with transportation to and from treatment, meetings and other appointments. Oftentimes clients are not yet equipped with their own license and vehicle, and therefore rely on outside sources for transportation needs.
- Housing: Our Peers help clients find and apply for affordable housing. Whether a client is transitioning out of an in-patient program, or recently lost their housing, Peers can assist in the process of locating and securing the client a place to live.
- Child Care Services: Many clients are the primary care provider for their children. If they are working an intensive program, or unable to find help for the hour that they need to attend a meeting they can be left with no choice but to leave their program or skip their recovery meeting. Peers can assist clients in obtaining child care services so that they can prioritize their recovery.
- Financial: Peers can identify and attend personal finances workshops with clients. Developing your financial knowledge is an important part of becoming a capable person in recovery.
- Parenting Classes: Peers can also identify and attend parenting classes with clients to assist them in custody-related matters.
- Career: Aside from providing career development resources, Peers can assist clients with education opportunities and career planning. Professional development can help clients to become more employable and financially stable in the long-term.
- Mentorship: Peers have firsthand knowledge and experience regarding Substance Use Disorder recovery. They can leverage their lived experience to assist in counseling clients throughout their personal recovery journey.
- Support Groups: Peers can opt in to lead support groups with multiple clients. These groups can vary in specificity, but are ultimately all offered to clients to provide a safe support environment that they can identify with.
- Recovery Community Networking: Peers are well-connected within the recovery community and have a wealth of resources at their disposal. They can provide clients with recovery organizations that can offer further support and stability within their recovery.
- Recovery-friendly Social Events: Peers can introduce clients to a new community of people through recovery-friendly social events. It is imperative that people in recovery develop rich social circles that support their personal recovery.
Peer Services Reinforce, Not Replace
Peer recovery services can be utilized by any organization. At Kyros, we aim to reinforce, not replace – and we do so by offering additional peer services that can supplement the critical support already being provided to clients. Clients that work with our Peers report a significantly greater improvement in symptoms, hopefulness and quality of life.
Get Started Today
Chat with a member of our team! Kyros is always exploring new ways to partner with organizations in order to best serve their unique needs. We currently partner with over 100 organizations in the state of Minnesota, and curate each relationship based on individual organizations.
Sources:
Axios. “Substance abuse contributing to the worker shortage.” Axios, 2022. https://www.axios.com/2022/04/22/substance-abuse-worker-shortage-covid.
Accessed 27 March 2023.
