EXPLORING RECOVERY AS A MEDIATIOR IN CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALIST SERVICES AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION OUTCOMES: CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALISTS AS TRANSLATIONAL PRACITITIONERS

ABSTRACT EXPLORING RECOVERY AS A MEDIATOR IN CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALIST SERVICES AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION OUTCOMES: CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALISTS AS TRANSLATIONAL PRACTITIONERS Mary K. Tuohy Phyllis Solomon Objective: The rapid expansion of certified peer specialist (CPS) services to align mental health treatment with the recovery paradigm highlights the key intersection of recovery, community integration, and CPSs. This study explored recovery as a mediator of the relationships connecting reported community integration outcomes to quantity and variety of certified peer specialist (CPS) services delivered to individuals with severe mental illness receiving community mental health treatment. Methods: Two survey data sets (n=104) - one measuring community integration and one measuring recovery, were correlated with CPS service utilization data from the prior month. Regression modeling was used to identify those measures of CPS services and covariates most likely to predict community integration, with significant predictors for community integration proceeding to mediation analysis. The ultimate goal of hypothesis testing for this study was to test recovery as a mediator of the relationship between CPS services and community integration. Results: Three measures of CPS services: embedded clubhouse hours, community hours, and total hours emerged as greater predictors of community integration and were included for mediation analysis. Of the three services, only embedded clubhouse services showed partial mediation. Total CPS service hours were positively correlated with community integration but did not show mediation. Community CPS service hours however, were negatively correlated with community integration, and the relationship was not mediated by recovery. Conclusion: Together these results suggest greater impact for CPS interventions in programs and settings highly aligned with recovery. The results favor site-based programs, particularly the clubhouse model for this sub-population of service recipients. Negative findings for community- based services highlight challenges for individuals with living in restrictive settings and suggest more deliberate approaches to services in the community may be necessary. The identified potential for CPSs to promote recovery may help guide the rapid expansion of CPS services and the growing movement for national CPS training and certification. Keywords: certified peer specialists, recovery, community integration, severe mental illnes