The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines a peer provider as “a person who uses his or her lived experience of recovery from mental illness and/or addiction, plus skills learned in formal training, to deliver services in behavioral health settings to promote mind-body recovery and resilience. Peer providers have traditionally worked as volunteers, however changes in mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services and treatment, as well as recognition of the importance of long-term recovery support have led to a professionalization of this role with formalized training and certification, and the potential for paid employment.

This report examines the demographics, socioeconomic status, and job mobility of workers by Long Term Care (LTC) sector and occupation. It identifies the characteristics associated with job mobility and turnover of LTC workers, and the pathways to LTC jobs these workers utilize.