Peer support saves lives.
This common sentiment among Peer Recovery Supporters (PRS) rings true for Brian Bailys, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Peer Recovery Services, who says it saved his own life.
“It wasn’t just the program itself, it was the people who I met there that were in recovery as well. They understood what I was going through, gave me hope, and told me I was worth something. They helped me get my smile back.’’
On August 4, MHAOhio partnered with Maryhaven, Southeast Healthcare, The P.E.E.R Center, and the ADAMH Board of Franklin County in hosting Central Ohio’s first annual PRS Community Event and Job Fair. The event, sponsored in part by Thrive, was a day of education and discussion about the PRS workforce. We welcomed employers looking to hire and provided resources for individuals to learn more about peer recovery support as a career.
Tarah King, PR and Marketing Manager at Thrive, says that they sponsored the event because they believe in the power of peer support. Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, Thrive provides multiple peer-led services spanning all 88 counties in Ohio.
“Thrive’s services are designed to meet people where they are, whether it be in the community, hospitals, courts, or prisons.”
A PRS is someone who uses their lived experience with mental illness or substance use disorder to help others on their journey to recovery. Many organizations in Ohio are beginning to see the benefit of having PRS on staff, and the workforce is steadily growing. The majority of Thrive’s 150 staff members identify as a person in recovery, and 109 are certified PRS.
“Peer support isn’t just a job. It’s the start of a rewarding career path that supports and enables people to achieve independence and long-term recovery,” says Tarah. “It’s a diverse career path with many different specialties and settings. Many employers of peers have less strict background check requirements, understanding that this population might have incidents in their past that don’t define their future.”
Community partnerships with organizations like Thrive are essential to the success of MHAOhio’s mission to transform how people think about mental illness, make it easier to get help, and give people the support they need to get better and stay better.
If you have lived experience with mental illness and/or substance use disorder and want to learn more about becoming certified as a PRS, learn more about how MHAOhio can help here. If you are already certified and looking for work, check out our list of employers. Because helpers deserve help too, we host a support group for peer supporters that meets on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 7:00 PM in person and online. Join us at Bexley United Methodist Church 2657 E. Broad St. Bexley, OH 43209 or register to attend virtually.
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