Organizations with peer support programs
HCA’s Operationalizing Peer Support (OPS) program supports agencies and organizations who want to begin offering or already offer peer services and need assistance with the implementation and operationalization of peer services.
Stay informed about OPS program updates.
What support does the Operationalizing Peer Support (OPS) program offer?
The OPS program provides free technical assistance to agencies, organizations, or individual providers through:
- OPS training: This training consists of evidence-based knowledge that is essential for peer supervision and administration. It also provides opportunities for an open dialogue, in a safe environment, about common concerns.
- Monthly webinars: These webinars cover topics relevant to organizations who provide Medicaid-reimbursed services and for peer services delivered in non-Medicaid settings.
- Weekly office hours: Office hours are drop-in meetings for providers who supervise or are peers.
Sign up for our peer mailing list to receive information on these opportunities or contact the OPS program for individual support.
- Resources for operating a peer support program
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Billing
- Service Encounter Reporting Instructions(SERI)
- Behavioral health agencies billing and information technology toolkit
- ProviderOne billing and resource guide
- Provider billing guides and fee schedules webpage
- Email the MC program team for help with billing
Toolkits
- City of Philadelphia peer support toolkit
- Provider's handbook on developing and implementing peer roles
- American Mental Health Counselors Association peer services toolkit
- World Health Organization one-to-one peer support guidance
- Trauma-informed organizational toolkit for homeless services
Ethics
- Ethical guidelines for the delivery of peer-based recovery support services
- National practice guidelines for peer specialists and supervisors
- National practice guidelines for peer supporters
Supervision of peers
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) guidelines for supervision of peer workers
- SAMHSA supervisor of peer workers self-assessment
- Substance use disorder peer supervision competencies
- The peer role: what supervisors and administrators need to know (video)
- Important practices in providing peer supervision (video)
- National practice guidelines: putting values into practice (video)
- SAMHSA report on addressing burnout in the behavioral health workforce
Peer workforce resources
- Mental Health America peer workforce resources
- SAMHSA peer support workers for those in recovery resources
- Aspects of running a peer workforce (video)
Laws related to peer service in Washington
- Behavioral health agency licensing and certification requirements (WAC 246-341-0700)
- Certified peer counselor (WAC 182-115)
- Medicaid State Plan amendment for substance use disorder and peer support
- Agency affiliated counselor practicing as peer counselor—No automatic denial of applicant with past conviction for certain offenses (RCW 18.19.095)
- Licensed or certified behavioral health agencies and providers—Minimum standards (RCW 71.24.037)
- Behavioral health outpatient crisis outreach, observation and intervention services—Certification standards (WAC 246-341-0901)
- OPS program training recordings
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The OPS program holds training for peer supervisors and organizations with existing peer programs or those interested in offering peer services. Training recordings include:
- OPS program introduction
- Peers in Washington State and contracting for services
- The peer role
- Preparing the organization for peer services
- Supervision of peers
- Documentation for peers
- Important practices in providing peer supervision
- Ethics and boundaries
- Reasonable accommodations and supervising protected class employees
- Common concerns of supervisors of peers
View a list of all OPS recordings on our OPS YouTube playlist.
Certified behavioral health organizations (BHOs) reimbursement for SUD peer services
As of July 1, 2019, peer support services are included in both the mental health and substance use sections of the Medicaid State Plan. This allows appropriately licensed behavioral health agencies to provide peer support services for both mental health and substance use disorders and bill them as Medicaid reimbursable encounters.