Notes from a Peer Recovery Specialist

Living with a substance use condition can feel isolating. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. Peer recovery support specialists are working to break through that isolation by tapping into something no medical training can provide: lived experience with addiction and recovery.  In this week’s episode, we hear from Ines Garcia, a peer recovery support specialist at the East Bay Recovery Center. Garcia talks about the strategies she uses to help people who are living with substance use conditions find a path to recovery. And for Garcia, like many peer recovery specialists, this work is personal. Listen to this week’s episode of Public Health Out Loud to learn more about the role of peer recovery support specialists. You’ll also hear co-hosts, Dr. Philip Chan and Dr. Jim McDonald, talk through the changes medical professionals can make to eliminate the biases and barriers people with substance use conditions face in the healthcare provider’s office. “Whatever your story is when you enter my exam room, I want to make you feel welcome,” Dr. McDonald says. “It’s a safe space.”