Mental Health Peer Support Re-entry Pilot Program

The Peer Re-entry Pilot Program provides community-based peer services and access to services from licensed mental health professionals who assist with transition or "re-entry" into clinically appropriate community-based mental health services. The peer specialist (for example, certified peer specialist, peer support specialist and recovery coach) builds a relationship with the participant while incarcerated and maintains this relationship during and after transition into the community and community-based mental health services.

The goals of the program are to support recovery through ongoing mental health peer support. Click here to learn more about peer support services.

Existing Providers

Three local mental health authorities were selected based on the state's assessment of the facility's level of need, capacity and existing relationships with law enforcement. Implementation of the Peer Support Re-entry Pilot Program started April 1, 2016 in the following LMHAs:

  • The Harris Center (Harris County)
  • My Health My Resources of Tarrant County (Tarrant County)
  • Tropical Texas Behavioral Health (Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties)

Performance Contracts

The Peer Support Re-entry Pilot Program is an amendment to the LMHA performance contract. Read the Statement of Work (PDF).

Training

  • The HHSC Adult Mental Health Program Services Unit continues to provide technical assistance through monthly conference calls and personalized assistance as needed to providers, to refine data collection methods and to collaborate with the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to perform a process evaluation of the Peer Support Re-entry Pilot Program.

Resources

Legislation

The 2016-17 General Appropriations Act, House Bill 1, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015 (Article II, DSHS, Rider 73) required DSHS to allocate up to $1 million in general revenue for the 2016-17 biennium to implement a mental health peer support re-entry program.

Contact US

To learn more about Peer Support, email the Peer and Recovery Services unit.