Advocate for Peer Specialists to be SAMHSA Grant Reviewers

UPDATE! We encourage peer specialists and other professionals without advanced degrees to consider applying to be grant reviewers! While the initial SAMHSA email that was sent out about this opportunity indicated that a master’s degree was mandatory, the website and application forms do not reflect this requirement.
Instead of requesting a modification to the requirements, let’s make sure the grant review panels have qualified peer specialists (YOU, very possibly)!
Follow this link to apply to be a grant reviewer!
Original text:

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and one of the largest grantmakers in the mental health field, has posted openings for grant reviewers, emphasizing the need for expertise and qualifications in the fields of mental health and substance abuse. However, their current criteria primarily focus on professions that often require advanced degrees, potentially excluding individuals with equally valuable lived experiences and unique perspectives: peer specialists.

Peer specialists, with their personal journeys through recovery and their unique training and experience in the practice of peer support, offer a wealth of insight and understanding that can significantly enhance the grant review process and lead to more comprehensive and effective mental health and substance use support programs. By advocating for the inclusion of peer specialists in SAMHSA’s grant reviewer qualifications, you can help ensure a more diverse and inclusive review panel, which can lead to more holistic, empathetic, and impactful decisions in the world of mental health and substance use grants and greater access to funding for peer support services, to the benefit of all mental health and substance use service recipients.

SAMHSA’s posting may be viewed here.

Please click below to share your thoughts with SAMHSA and advocate for the value of the unique expertise of peer specialists.