Funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Peer Expertise Network Project (PEN) is facilitating mental health system transformation by establishing a statewide infrastructure for peer-operated supports, delivered as an evidence-based practice and integrated within the fabric of current services for mental health consumer/survivors. Major project goals include:

Develop and expand peer operated programs and services throughout Oregon, promoting recovery through peer-to-peer support, education and advocacy as a compliment to professional support.
Facilitate the incorporation of peer-operated programs and services within Oregon's evidence-based practice mandate as well as the active participation of consumer/survivor leaders in the implementation and evaluation of other evidence-based practices.
Identify policy improvements, collaboration strategies and funding mechanisms that facilitate the sustainability of peer-operated programs and services.
Increase consumer/survivor leader and group participation and collaboration at all levels in service and policy design, implementation and oversight.
Carefully document and evaluate the process and impact of incorporating peer-operated services on mental health systems transformation.

The PEN Project is conducted by the Office of Consumer/Survivor Technical Assistance (OCTA), based at the RRI, in close partnership with the Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and mental health consumer leaders. PEN is undertaking a series of interrelated activities designed to increase the utilization, validation and sustainability of peer-operated services. Consumer/survivor leaders are intensively involved at all levels of the project, leading design, outreach, policy, evaluation and dissemination teams. Peer-operated services are being outreached through the development of a network that brings together groups and leaders already skilled in the delivery of peer-based services with groups committed to move toward increasing peer operation. Train-the-trainer tools and approaches for peer support, education and advocacy are being infused as well as peer-guided methods for providing supports, such as person-directed planning. A PEN Leadership Conference is being conducted to promote knowledge exchange, to facilitate organizational planning for peer-operated services, and to establish network linkages that bring together consumer/survivor leaders to support one another's efforts. An ongoing collaborative planning effort by consumers, state and local agency and other leaders will identify policy improvements, collaboration strategies and funding mechanisms for sustaining peer-operated programs and services.

Key outcomes will include an increase in: (a) the number of peer-operated programs, (b) the level of evidence-based peer services delivered within those programs, and (c) consumer/survivor involvement in the implementation and evaluation of other evidence based practices.

Concluded Project - end date Peer Expertise Network

Concluded Project - end date

Peer Expertise Network