Peer Intensive Care Services

Through a partnership with the Tennessee Mental Health Consumers’ Association since 2015, 16 Certified Peer Recovery Specialists in the Peer Intensive Care Services program use the power of peer support to improve outcomes for Tennesseans admitted to either a Regional Mental Health Institute or a Crisis Stabilization Unit.

Goals for the Program

  • To reduce readmissions to hospital or CSU
  • To increase engagement with community behavioral health providers following discharge
  • To provide information and education about mental illness and its treatment
  • To strengthen support systems and coping skills, aiding in the transition back into local community
  • To promote a person’s wellness and recovery through connections to community supports

How it Works

Peer Intensive Care Specialists meet with people after an admission to one of four Regional Mental Health Institutes or one of seven Crisis Stabilization Units.  The PICS, as they are known, facilitate peer support groups in the RMHIs/CSUs that include:

  • Sharing their personal stories of recovery to inspire hope
  • Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP®)
  • Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through Education (BRIDGES)
  • Suicide prevention
  • Other peer recovery education topics

Additional roles for the PICS inside RMHIs and CSUs can include participating in treatment team meetings, providing one-on-one peer support, coordinating appointments and other facets of post-discharge life, and sharing community-based resources.

90-Day Aftercare Program

In addition to providing peer services in the RMHIs and CSUs, the Peer Intensive Care Specialists also provide a voluntary 90-day aftercare program once a person is discharged.  Elements of that program include:

  1. Connecting with the individual within 24 hours of discharge
  2. Accompanying the individual to their first appointment, if desired
  3. Meeting in person within 7 days of discharge to create a person-centered Care Coordination Support plan
  4. Calling at least once a week for follow-up/safety checks throughout the 90 days of the program
  5. Meeting in person at 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days to measure progress in building community supports
  6. Satisfaction surveys are completed on day 30 and 90 after discharge

For more information, visit this link on TMHCA Website.