Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals - Strength In Peers, a peer-run Recovery Community Organization based in northwestern Virginia, proposes to implement a structured six-month internship program that prepares Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRSs) to serve in high-need and high-demand behavioral health settings. This Level 1 pre-service training program is designed to expand and strengthen the paraprofessional behavioral health workforce, particularly in underserved rural communities and among populations affected by mental health and substance use disorders, including children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth. The program will train up to 16 interns per year (8 per cohort), each completing 500 hours of supervised, hands-on learning and didactic coursework aligned with Virginia’s CPRS certification requirements. Interns will rotate through eight diverse training sites, including Strength In Peers’ community resource centers, harm reduction and homeless outreach teams, sober living residences, a homeless medical respite house, and three formal partner sites: Page County Jail, Lineweaver Apartments, and the Harrisonburg Navigation Center. These placements provide real-world experience supporting individuals with complex needs, while exposing interns to integrated care models and inter-professional collaboration. Each intern will receive a personalized learning plan tailored to their professional goals and gaps in knowledge. Didactic instruction includes foundational trainings in Intentional Peer Support, Action Planning for Prevention and Recovery, and Recovery-Oriented Work Support. Interns will also access virtual trainings on topics such as trauma-informed care, crisis response, family support, and recovery group facilitation. Supervision is provided through biweekly individual and group meetings, using a trauma-informed framework to build resilience and strengthen peer role fidelity. The program places a strong emphasis on career readiness. Interns will receive job counseling and application support, and Strength In Peers will conduct outreach to employers to promote CPRS integration. Program completers will be tracked for one year after graduation to assess employment outcomes and ensure support in transitioning into the workforce. The project includes robust partnerships with clinical, housing, and public health providers. Interns will engage in interprofessional team meetings with tele-counseling and tele-psychiatry providers and participate in coordinated care with primary care and behavioral health teams at Rocktown Health and Sentara Healthcare. Stakeholders—including the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), local community-based organizations, and experiential training sites—will be actively involved in project design, intern support, and program improvement. To support continuous quality improvement, Strength In Peers will collect data on intern demographics, training hours, graduation rates, employment outcomes, and intern satisfaction. Evaluation methods include intern self-assessments, exit interviews, tracking tools, and performance metrics. Project staff will use these findings to refine training activities, strengthen partnerships, and disseminate best practices through learning events, training materials, and peer workforce networks. Sustainability planning is underway and includes exploring funding from federal, state, and private sources, as well as collaboration with agencies like DARS and Virginia Career Works to support internships and apprenticeships. Strength In Peers will also assess models that combine housing, post-internship employment, and employer-sponsored training to expand access and ensure long-term impact. This project is eligible for the funding priority because it is a peer-run organization and all staff and most Board member have lived experience overcoming substance use, mental health and trauma-related challenges. It also is eligible for funding preference being a new program.
