Headline
Peer recovery services offered to people with substance use disorder (SUD) returning to community from incarceration is shown to reduce substance use and improve health and treatment motivation.
Context
People with SUD are disproportionately represented in prison populations and face elevated risk for fatal overdoses following release. Peer recovery coaching is associated with improving SUD treatment adherence for individuals with SUD, as well as reduced hospitalizations. This study examined recovery-based outcomes among previously incarcerated individuals who accessed peer recovery coaches through an Indiana-based community reentry program, known as Substance Use Programming for Person-Oriented Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT).
Findings
The study sampled 100 individuals, assigning them to SUPPORT peer recovery coaches or treatment as usual (TAU). SUPPORT services did not affect treatment retention among intervention participants, as 41% of individuals in both treatment groups remained in the study after six months. However, alcohol and illicit substance use among SUPPORT participants decreased from 30% at baseline to 16% after six months, while TAU participants experienced an increase from 26% to 41%. SUPPORT participants also saw greater boosts in physical and mental health and treatment motivation than TAU participants after six months.
Takeaways
This study demonstrated that peer recovery coaches can substantially benefit populations involved in the criminal legal system with SUDs. Providers of reentry services can consider including peer recovery coaches to help program participants with SUD to reduce substance use and improve other aspects of their health and treatment motivation.