MA Peer Workforce Coalition
A coalition of Peer Recovery Coaches, Certified Peer Specialists, Family Partners, Young Adult Peer Mentors, Certified Older Adult Peer Specialists, and other lived experience professionals
Our Mission
The Massachusetts Peer Workforce Coalition is a collective of peer support and lived experience professional leaders the first of its kind in the United States. We represent Peer Recovery Coaches (RCs), Certified Peer Specialists (CPSs), Family Partners (FPs), Young Adult Peer Mentors (YAPMs), and Certified Older Adult Peer Specialists (COAPSs). Our goal is to bring the collective voices of people with lived/living experiences so that they can shape any and all policies that impact our work. We are a group of change agents that safeguard the unique differences and ethics of all peer support and lived experience professions through civic engagement, social justice, health education, and trauma healing.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Peer Support Worker Comparison Chart
Our Vision
We seek to expand the existing peer support ecosystem in Massachusetts and be at the forefront of all legislation about peer support and lived experience professions. Together, we strive to build more peer-run models, programs, and approaches in our state. As well as making community-run, voluntary, and informed healthcare more widely accessible. The Massachusetts Peer Workforce Coalition advocates for the voices of the oppressed in all settings and ensures that the people who are most impacted are leading the design and future of community health and peer support in the Commonwealth.
History
Established in 2018, the Massachusetts Peer Workforce Coalition (MAPWC) was started through a Statewide Consumer Networking grant awarded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In our early inception, when first awarded the SCN grant, a group of Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Peer Supporters came together and formed Massachusetts United for Connection and Healing (MUCH), after many listening sessions, and advisory groups, training, and coalition meetings MUCH expanded its reach. It wasn’t until the leaders of several prominent peer support training, advocacy, and credentialing organizations came together across peer professions, that what is now known as the Massachusetts Peer Workforce Coalition (MAPWC) was formed.
Our Current Advocacy
Coalition Action Updates
MA Peer Workforce Coalition Letter of Opposition to Chairs, Senator Cindy Friedman, House Chair Representative John Lawn, and committee members (completed and sent on April 27th, 2022)
ACES Act Coalition Letter to Chair Madaro supported by MAPWC (completed and sent April 26th, 2022)
Next meeting
November 22, 2023 at 2:00 pm ET (Zoom link will be sent to confirmed coalition members)
Membership - By filling out this form below you can become a member (applicants must meet the membership criteria on the form.)
Email List- By filling out this form below you are subscribing to our email list
MA Peer Workforce Coalition Letter to Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
MAPWC Meeting Structure
Note: All MAPWC meetings will soon be led by an independent facilitator. Currently, all meetings are facilitated by the scribe who sends out the agenda and collects information. Then they will start the meeting, all meetings are equitable, and welcoming, and there is a lot accomplished.
Welcome conversation as we wait for others to join - about (3 -5 minutes)
The agenda is as follows :
Comfort / Discomfort Agreement- introductions (3 -5 minutes)
Minutes review : (3-5 minutes)
Updates on Priorities (15 minutes)
Current topics we are addressing
Building MA PWC (15 minutes)
Next Steps (15 minutes)
Group goodbyes!
