The North Carolina Results First Initiative, Department of Health and Human Services’ Adult Mental Health Section and Office of State Budget and Management completed an in-depth evaluation of the effectiveness of peer support services.
Their Benefit-Cost Analysis demonstrated a return of $1.19 per dollar invested in the peer support program. Their analysis included an evaluation of peer support utilization which found that on average patients completed 77 individual hours of peer support services and an average of 4.8 hours of group peer support services.
Through their evaluation the team considered the following benefits per participant:
– Increased employment
– Reduced Psychiatric Hospitalization
– Reduced Crime
– Increased Global Functioning
– Reduced Homelessness
– Reduced Psychiatric Symptoms
Based upon their program evaluation, their recommendations to the state included expansion of the program, with a focus on training more providers for improved access across the state and enhancing their ability to track outcomes, to continue to monitor effectiveness of peer support services.
For the full PDF report please check it out here. NC Results First Program Evaluation (1)