Jessica Champ’s history of substance use disorders began around the time most children entered middle school.

“I started injecting methamphetamines around the age of 11,” Jessica Champ said. “Her mother said she worked 14 hours a day. She didn’t know my ex-stepfather was dealing drugs and sexually abusing me. stole the drug.”

By the time she was 17, she was out of school and in and out of juvenile halls. Champ says she was able to get clean for a short time, but it never stuck. It wasn’t until she faced a possible 25-year prison sentence that Champ finally made a permanent change.

“I missed the first nine years of my daughter’s life because I gave birth to her while she was in prison and didn’t get to see her when she was released due to drug addiction and other circumstances. “I couldn’t hold her or touch her,” Champ said. I knew I would miss my grandson’s entire childhood if I didn’t. You said you wouldn’t allow it.

It was the motivation she needed. Champ was able to recover with the help of a rehabilitation program. Soon she found joy in helping other people struggling with addiction. She could tell them about her own experiences and talk about services they might need.

“I felt like this was the right thing to do. After all that I went through, I wanted to help people,” she said. I really didn’t know. I definitely wasn’t certified.”

Eventually, Champ learned about the Behavioral Health Certification Program. peer works, where she was able to turn her passion into a profession.Developed by the University of Arizona School of Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction CenterPeerWORKS trains people who have experienced substance use disorders and mental health challenges as peer support specialists to help others on their journey to recovery.

Increase support for those in need

Years after the opioid epidemic was first reported in the United States, it remains a public health crisis. In 2021, he will have 2,006 opioid overdose deaths in Arizona, according to the Arizona Department of Health. This equates to a mortality rate of 27.5 for her per 100,000, or 5 or more deaths every day of the year.

Research shows that peer support professionals can reduce drug use and depression in people they work with. Dr. Jennifer De La Rosa, Director of Strategy for the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center and Director of Evaluation for PeerWORKS. The impact on support services is also measurable.

“There is ample evidence that peer support helps people avoid needlessly accessing levels of care. increase,” she said. “They are protecting these higher levels of health care.”

PeerWORKS’ goal is to increase the number of peer support specialists qualified to serve in integrated care settings in rural and underserved communities in Arizona.

“I wanted to be a positive force for change in the Safford area,” Champ said. “I get to watch it grow and see the people I’ve helped thrive. This is probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.” ”

Peer support specialists use their unique, first-hand experience to build trust and build trust with people with substance use disorders and mental illness. They can be found in a variety of workplaces, such as clinics where people receive medication for substance use disorders, local health centers, and homes where they lead a sober life.

“Peer support specialists augment traditional clinical practice,” says Dr. De La Rosa. “This is someone whose role is to share that they have had some of these same experiences if it helps in therapy.”

The program begins with six months of online training on topics such as how addiction affects the brain, how opioid use disorders affect adolescents and families, and how to advocate for health plans, housing and other resources.

“I never really had a schooling like this,” Champ said. “But I quit my job to focus on my classes and prioritize them.”

Trainees can also job shadow at a growing list of community partner facilities and apply for a 12-month apprenticeship. Current partners include Banner Health, Sage Memorial, Regional Center for Border Health, and House of Hope, where Champ currently operates a re-entry program.

“I was actually bringing a friend over for resources when they asked me if I was interested in applying for a job,” she said. and I had already sent my resume to them, and a few weeks later I was working there.”

Expanding access to care

PeerWORKS is a modern training program launched by the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center (CPAC) that focuses on all aspects of pain and substance use disorders.

“CPAC is the center of gravity for organizations, faculty and advocacy groups within the university and statewide,” said CPAC members. Dr. Benjamin Brady, Research Assistant Professor, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. “It allows like-minded people to come together and work on common problems.”

The program is made possible by a four-year, $2.2 million federal grant from the Department of Health Resources Services. HRSA aims to provide equitable health care to geographically isolated, economically or medically vulnerable populations.

To get started with PeerWORKS, CPAC members must Human resource development program in the medical college tucsonof Family and Community Medicine and the UArizona Center for Rural Health in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

“The Family and Community Health Department’s RISE Workforce Development Program is a pioneering effort to promote a recovery-oriented care system, assess the role of work in recovery, and train and certify Arizona’s peer recovery support professionals. It was one of the programs,” said Sheryl Glass, MBA-HCMDirector of Workforce Development Programs, which launched Peer Support Specialist Training in 2005.

The Workforce Development Program is also working with CPAC on Project FUTRE (Families Uplifted Through Recovery Education). Project FUTRE is increasing the number of behavioral health advocates trained to work with children and families whose lives are affected by opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders.

Champ is one of the first eight Peer Support Specialists to complete PeerWORKS. Her success is an example of the life-changing power of peer support, not only for those who receive the service, but also for her peer support specialists.

“I know this program isn’t a college degree, but as far as my family is concerned, it is. They are very proud of me,” Champ said. “I am able to be a part of positive change in my community, be there for my children and grandchildren, and help people.”