Peer-Run Crisis Respites: Service Use and Recovery Outcomes and Implementation Lessons Learned

Peer-run crisis respites offer short-term residential peer support to publicly funded mental health service users who are experiencing self-defined crises. One program goal is to provide the level of proactive support that will prevent acute psychiatric crises that might otherwise lead to hospitalization. Peer-run crisis respites offer a range of services and supports, physical health, wellness and the integration of physical and behavioral health care. This presentation will describe the program design, preliminary evaluation results, and lessons learned from one peer-run crisis respite program in California. The program is staffed entirely by individuals with lived experience of mental health issues trained in Intentional Peer Support, a trauma-informed service delivery paradigm emphasizing mutuality, reciprocity, and growth. Preliminary analyses have found that respite use is associated with positive recovery outcomes and a decreased likelihood of using inpatient and emergency services compared to similar individuals receiving mental health services. The presentation will cover important implementation considerations, including issues related to staffing, coordination with the behavioral health system, and financing and sustainability. The presentation will close with a discussion of how peer-run respites fit within the priorities of the Affordable Care Act, including how more appropriate supports and preventive interventions can contain cost while improving health outcomes, and considerations in financing these types of community-based supports given new funding models.