Behavioral Health Services North staff complete peer services training

MORRISONVILLE | Staff from Behavioral Health Services North (BHSN), a regional leader in behavioral health care serving communities across the North Country and Capital regions, have completed comprehensive, two-day peer services training, conducted by The Alliance for Rights and Recovery. The Alliance’s Peer Services Training program strengthens BHSN’s efforts to improve behavioral health care and provide peer support services.

Peer advocates are individuals with lived experience of mental illness or substance use recovery, and are increasingly recognized and utilized by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) as a critical component of effective, person-centered behavioral health care. These individuals provide non-clinical support to people navigating their own recovery journeys. Because peer advocates draw on personal experience with recovery, they are uniquely positioned to build trust, model hope, and help individuals reconnect with their communities.

“By expanding our peer infrastructure, we hope to build upon the strong peer network already present in our community. In collaboration with the Alliance for Rights and Recovery, we are providing the education, support, and training needed to strengthen and sustain this workforce,” said BHSN President & CEO Katherine Cook. “At the heart of the peer model are authentic, equitable relationships and an understanding that many people seeking help have experienced challenges within the behavioral health system. Centering the wisdom and voice of lived experience will help all of us better meet the needs of the individuals and communities we serve.”

“Peer support works because it offers something fundamentally different: relationships grounded in shared experience, hope, choice and the belief that people can and do recover. But simply hiring peers isn’t enough,” said Shannon Higbee, Chief Strategy Officer, The Alliance for Rights and Recovery. “Organizations need to understand and protect what makes the role unique. BHSN has really leaned into that work, not just with peer staff, but across the organization, building the understanding, support and culture that allow peers to do what they do best, which is connect with people in ways that open up new possibilities for recovery and a meaningful life in the community.”

INVESTING IN THE PEER WORKFORCE

BHSN's participation in this training is a commitment to data-driven, evidence-based professional development and continuous improvement of the support services provided to communities served. The two-day training also aligns with statewide efforts to expand and professionalize the peer workforce. NYS OMH has continued to invest in this model, including establishing additional Clubhouse Programs statewide (recently announced on July 13) and multi-million-dollar grants supporting community organizations that train and credential youth and family peer advocates.

Additionally, enhancing mental health support services and fostering positive peer relationships has been a priority of Gov. Hochul, as outlined in her 2026 State of the State earlier this year.

“Equipping our team with this advanced training allows us to meet individuals right where they are in their recovery,” said Meghan Mitchell, Coordinator of Peer Services, BHSN Queensbury Center for Wellbeing. “Peer support is rooted in empathy, shared experience, and trust, and expanding these skills ensures our local communities receive the most compassionate, effective care possible.”

A GROWING, EVIDENCE-BACKED WORKFORCE

According to NYS OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan, OMH is training and certifying individuals with lived experience in peer support roles, including peer specialists, family peer advocates, and youth peer advocates, who offer connections and support across diverse programs and services. OMH also trains and provides peer bridgers who help individuals in recovery establish and maintain a trusting relationship as they leave hospital care and reintegrate into the community. Peer advocates are now present throughout the state's service landscape, in psychiatric centers, clinics, crisis services, peer-led recovery centers, and specialized outreach teams.

According to Mental Health America's 2019 Evidence for Peer Support report, individuals paired with a peer mentor after psychiatric hospitalization had significantly fewer hospital days and rehospitalizations, and in one recent study, doubled their average time to rehospitalization compared to those receiving standard post-discharge care. Similar peer-driven programs across New York State have shown strong results:

90 percent of participants in one Orange County crisis respite program avoided returning to the hospital over a two-year period, and A Buffalo-area peer life coaching program helped more than half of its participants with employment goals successfully return to work.

Data from the Alliance for Rights and Recovery’s (formerly the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services) Peer Bridger model also demonstrates the measurable impact of this work. Compared to individuals who did not receive peer support, participation in New York's Peer Bridger program resulted in:

47.9 percent decrease in the number of people using inpatient psychiatric services 62.5 percent decrease in the number of inpatient days 28.0 percent increase in outpatient visits 47.1 percent decrease in total behavioral health costs By completing this training, BHSN staff are better equipped to deliver peer-driven services rooted in hope, choice, self-determination, and mutuality, which are core recovery principles that have consistently been linked to improved outcomes for individuals across New York State.

Behavioral Health Services North (BHSN) is a leading provider of comprehensive behavioral health services in the North Country and Capital District regions of New York. BHSN is committed to delivering high-quality, integrated care that addresses the social, emotional, and physical needs of individuals and families. Through a range of programs and services, BHSN strives to improve the mental health and well-being of the communities it serves. Learn more by visiting www.bhsn.org.

Behavioral Health Services North staff complete peer services training

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