Peer Specialists

“We can help others overcome their personal circumstances by modeling our own recovery and how we were able to overcome our barriers and how we’ve been able to develop strong coping skills to continue to navigate and to continue to move beyond what our circumstances were on our journey of recovery.”

“Little by little you're able to build that trust with individuals and that rapport. I'll tell you, some people out there don't have anybody. The trust comes from such a deep empathy because I'm not a clinician, I'm not a social worker, I'm not a doctor or psychiatrist. I was on the streets just where you were. I didn't go from the park bench to Park Avenue, but from the park bench to, you know, where I'm at now.”

“Peers are very resourceful. Your life experiences literally push you to be resourceful because you need to survive. So that is where case managers reach out a lot, for resources and ways to connect with participants. Usually individuals in programs like this look at us like we are the system. But a peer can be themselves. A peer can say, ‘I have my own life experience.’”

“l do this work for are all the people that are incarcerated and don't have any support. I can come to work every day and for seven hours just to be that little sliver of hope for somebody. That makes my experiences with the system all worth it. Because in all those years I spent being incarcerated, now I get to see that little bit of hope come on in somebody's eye or that little light or that little squint when they get a job.”

“I look at it so bittersweet, because I'm like, I went through all this terror, and I put people through hell with what I was doing to them. But now I'm here, and I'm helping somebody else. And I'm an honest person. And I don't think I would be able to help somebody the way that I do without everything that I've gone through.”

“I try to make the participants part of rebuilding the system, explaining why we get so much information because we're collecting data for change. I try to make them feel like they're part of the change. So that has been real effective when I work with people because it makes them a little more invested. You empower them to think that they're part of it — which they are, you know, they really are.”

"I was in the substance treatment field and felt I could support individuals more through my own lived experience within the criminal justice system. We support them by providing hope, advocacy, being collaborative, and love! Most importantly the support of the participants comes from me knowing how important this is and why we do this work."

“My passion has and always will be for the youth and young adults. I believe the system is designed to keep them thinking they are not worthy and that they don't deserve good things in life. A lot of them come from dysfunctional families. So naturally to me, I want to bring some functional options to them.”

“My reason to be here is to let people know that no matter what drug you're on, no matter how long the judge says you got to do, no matter you're living in the street, no matter. There's always hope.”