Treatment combined with peer support on an ongoing basis provides dramatically better results for ongoing recovery. The results are better for the person entering recovery as well as the peer working with the new person. The key factors involved in this success are long term engagement by peers in recovery and early aggressive re-intervention to the appropriate level of care – whether clinical or community supports. 

Over the course of the past two years, the El Paso Alliance has served over 350 homeless persons with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, and has collected follow up data on 80% of these people as part of a Local Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) called Sendero al Bienestar or Pathway to Wellbeing. 

This project is an example of Recovery Management[i], meaning that the system, consisting of primary care, mental health care and addiction treatment in addition to long term peer support, seeks to engage the individual at the earliest possible time, and stay engaged for years to practice early re-intervention where necessary and to guide the individual into the culture of recovery.

This can be especially critical in the time period immediately following residential services, where the culture of addiction may attempt to reassert itself[ii].  The data show that 71% are abstinent after 6 months, that their chances of being employed or involved in education are better by 158% and they are even 18% more likely to have stable housing. 

 This approach takes good elements of service for alcohol and drug problems and mental health and makes them better than they would be without cooperation and certain key aspects of service.  The keys are long term engagement by peers in recovery and early aggressive re-intervention to the appropriate level of care – whether clinical or community supports.