A Case Study of a Peer Respite's Integration into a Public Mental Health System

Peer respites are short-term residential mental health programs staffed by peers with lived experience of mental distress. This case study examines qualitative data of peer staff and non-peer program directors' experiences working at the first peer respite in California. Throughout a five-year study (2010–2015), researchers conducted 20 semi-structured interviews and three focus groups with 25 peer staff and three program directors. The study found that peer staff reported differences in recovery-oriented service delivery between the county health system and their training in Intentional Peer Support. Peer staff indicated that such differences contributed, in part, to the program's gradual acceptance of the service delivery model promoted by the county, and the program's integration enabled its continued support via public funds. This paper concludes with policy recommendations to transform public mental health systems in collaboration with peer staff.