Did you know that Peer Support is an evidence-based practice?
Scientific studies have shown that Peer Support decreases morbidity rates, improves self-sufficiency, improves self-care skills, and drastically reduces the need for emergency services and hospital stays.
Here are a few studies about the Power of Peer Support:
There are currently 161 Certified Peer Support Specialists in Mississippi. 66% work full-time.
Of the 61,500 Mississippians receiving mental health services, only 1,045 have access to Peer Support Services.
Only 33 mental health providers in Mississippi offer Peer Support Services.
Mississippi CPSS Demographics:
The majority of CPSS’s in the state are between the ages of 35 and 59. 15% are under age 35, and 12% are over age 59.
71% of CPSS’s are female, 29% are male.
32% are Black/African American; 66% are White/Caucasian; 1% are Indian/Native American; 1% are Latino/Hispanic
54% have a college degree
72% earn less than $11 per hour
(Source: 2016 MDMH Think Recovery Peer Support Inititiaves Survey)
Snapshot of Mississippians Receiving Mental Health Services:
60% are White/Caucasian; 37% are Black/African American; 2% are Asian
1% are Mixed Race; 3% are Hispanic/Latino; >1% are Indian/Native American
45% have experienced Incarceration
10% are Veterans; 40% are Single-parents; 25% experience domestic violence;
23% live below poverty level; 4% experience chronic homelessness
Only 5% of Mississippians who experience Substance Use Disorders receive treatment
50% who experience Substance Use Disorder also experience Serious Mental Illness
Only 8% of people who receive treatment for Substance Use Disorder also receive treatment for co-occuring mental illness
(Sources: 2016 American Community Survey, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and MS Department of Corrections)