Forensic Peer Mentoring

In 2014 an advisory team was formed to discuss the development of a pilot program for Forensic Peer Mentors in Georgia with the Georgia Department of Behavior Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN) and the Georgia Department of Corrections (DOC). The advisory team was made up of members from DBHDD, GMHCN, DOC, including mental health directors from Lee Arrendale and Phillips State Prison, certified peer specialist, doctors, peer mentors and a forensic peer mentor from Pennsylvania. 

After many months of collaboration and developing the curriculum for the training the very first Forensic Peer Mentoring training was scheduled for January 2015. Eligibility was open to Georgia Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) and/or Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist (CARES). Ten peers were trained and four full time employees were hired by GMHCN to start at work at Lee Arrendale and Phillips State Prisons. Unfortunately the program did not get started at Phillips State Prison on the first round, but as a direct result of this, it opened up a new pathway for the forensic peer mentors to work at Day Reporting Centers (DRC) in Augusta and Atlanta, GA. Forensic peer mentors are people in in recovery from behavioral health diagnoses and have lived experience within the criminal justice system. They operate from the perspective that everyone who lives with behavioral health diagnoses and criminal justice involvement has the capacity to recover and live successful lives of meaning and purpose in the communities of their choice.

Forensic peer mentors perform a wide range of tasks aimed at creating mutual relationships with returning citizens/DRC participants in hopes that an individual regains control over their own life and over their own recovery process. In order to accomplish this, forensic peer mentors may engage in the following:
-    Role model competency in recovery principles.
-    Role model, and share, effective coping skills.
-    Assist the returning citizen/DRC participants in articulating their personal goals; identify potential outcomes and challenges, and provide support as identified by their peers.
-    Assist returning citizens/DRC participants in creating and maintaining a personal Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).
-    Assist in identifying, and support participation in, mutual self-help support groups.
-    Role model and share problem solving techniques with their peers.
-    Role model and share how to identify and overcome their fears. (ie: in preparation for prison discharge and community living)
-    Role model and share job-related skills.
-    Role model and share the skills needed for self-advocacy.
-    Assist with community resource linking.
-    Assist in establishing and/or maintaining natural support systems.
-    Role model and share effective coping techniques and self-help strategies.
-    Assist the returning citizens/DRC participants in creating and maintaining a Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) plan.
-    Role model and share skills for reporting for probation/parole appointments, judges and court dates.

Utilizing their unique recovery experience, forensic peer mentors will role model and share the tremendous value of each and every individual’s unique recovery experience.

This pilot program has been such a great success that DBHDD decided to expand the project and money was added from DBHDD’s Addictive Disease resources to support the expansion of the project. In December of 2015, an additional 10 forensic peer mentors were trained in Macon, GA. Eight new forensic peer mentors were hired by GMHCN to work at Phillips and Baldwin State Prison and at five Day Reporting Centers. The state prisons continue to be run by the Department of Corrections and the DRCs are run by the new Georgia Department of Community Supervision. The five DRCs are in Athens, Macon, Morrow, Griffin and Atlanta, GA. Two forensic peer mentors were hired by a Community Service Board in DBHDD Region 1 to work with the local Drug Courts.

 For more information about the Forensic Peer Mentoring Project or upcoming trainings, please contact Gena Garner, CPS, GMHCN Forensic Peer Mentoring Coordinator at peermentoring@gmhcn.org or 404-723-6018