Specifications include, but are not limited to: Recovery Community Centers (RCCs), led by peers, have opened throughout the country as part of a national effort to provide the broad range of supports that many individuals need to build a stable life in recovery. These centers are known as Peer Recovery Support Centers (PRSCs) in Massachusetts, The Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services currently supports 27 Peer Recovery Support Centers (PRSCs). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines Recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives and strive to reach their full potential” and the PRSC are spaces designed to foster that in community. A guiding principle of these centers is the belief that people need human connection, community inclusion, and peer support, as well as access to non-clinical resources to build recovery capital, improve quality of life, and sustain recovery. This is achieved via education, social events, recreational activities, one on one engagement, support groups, linkage, and referral. The PRSCs are warm, welcoming spaces grounded in the Values and Principles of Recovery, permeated with a sense of hope and belonging, with programming based on national standards and best practices in providing peer recovery support services, that assist members in developing their own unique individual, social, and community supports, to help prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery from addiction. The PRSCs offer a core scope of services, delivered via various peer models.
