About Us

Why Build the Peer Bridge?

We began by asking questions. What did peer specialists, peer trainers, and peer supervisors need that didn’t already exist? What was missing that could serve the broader community? Did prospective peers need anything before they became members of a peer community? The peer professionals we spoke with said they were continually asked the same questions by each new person they met, and they had to give the same answers over and over. We learned there wasn’t a central location that collected and summarized basic “Peers 101” information. While there are many trainers across the State of Maryland, and a formal process for peers to become certified, how do people in recovery locate these groups and sort out all this information in the first place?

We are a group of peer specialists, researchers, and communications people. Some of us work for the Center for Substance Use, Addiction & Health Research (CESAR). We took what we learned from peers we spoke with, applied for and received a planning grant from the University of Maryland Do Good Campus Fund to create a proof-of-concept digital home base for peers. Then we had to build it.

Mission

To provide a digital bridge to link the many peer-oriented resources that exist throughout Maryland, fill information gaps identified by peers themselves, and expand the ability of peers to make connections, and receive support.

Objectives

1. Build a digital resource guided by priorities identified by peers and other stakeholders
2. Identify and promote existing peer networks
3. Identify resources for each step of the peer certification process
4. Support the integration of peers into local workforces and communities