Time and again at Tough as a Mother, we hear powerful stories of mothers in recovery. But more importantly, we also hear amazing stories of transformation – where moms turn their lived experience into a “pay-it-forward” moment. Moms like Megan, Glory, Dominique and Tessa are just some of our moms who now take the time to help others on their recovery journey because they know first-hand what moms need most.
“We have to be available to those individuals when they are ready to reach out for help. People can and do recover. I work in an agency where I see so many faces of hope and hear so many voices of recovery. And as long as we aren’t judgmental and unkind to one another, moms remain open to peer conversations and discover the possibility that somebody can live a purposeful life without drugs and alcohol.”
– Dominique Knowles CPFS, Springs Recovery Connection, Programs Director, Colorado Springs
With a shortage of care providers across the state, peer support is an important integration into your services to expand support and care. You should know that there is fiscal support for this component of care and the integration of peers into your work can be incredibly additive and rewarding.
Providers: As Colorado continues to build statewide support for peer specialists – an evidence-based approach to the continuum of care for people in recovery – it is important you have information on how to integrate this essential component to your system of care.
Did you know that you don’t have to be a Community Mental Health Center or Recovery Support Services Organization to bill for peer support services?
This month, we sat down with Colorado’s Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to learn more about how they have expanded the many peer specialist services covered under many provider types to include services peer specialists may deliver under a new provider type organization developed in partnership with the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) called a Recovery Support Services Organization (RSSO). We also learned that the behavioral health billing manual (USCS Manual) lists a plethora of provider types that can bill for peer support services in a wide array of places of service.
Need more help understanding peer support coverage?