More on differing compensation and expectations in the peer recovery workforce.

~ Jason Schwartz

Yesterday, Austin shared a post about inequities in compensation for peer recovery specialists. He closed with this thought.

If we agree that, at least in this sphere of recovery, such inherent exploitation is contradictory to the overarching aim of recovery systems, then each of us must make a specific and deliberate stand to prevent the current exploitative trends from becoming further entrenched in the status quo of daily operations and systems. If we do not act now to specifically address this, it will only become the standard practice that is widely and unfairly accepted by funders, organizations, and even laborers who will have no collective say in the matter. We have seen this episode before, countless times, throughout the history of capitalism. Are we going to let it encroach on this space? This is a question we all must answer.

The Age Old Story – Differing Compensations, Differing Expectation in Peer Recovery Workforces – A Review of Alavi et al., 2023

This brought to mind an exchange I had with Bill White about his article on The Historical Essence of Addiction Counseling. I’d asked him what might be different if he was writing that article today. He believed that it stands up pretty well (I agree), but one thing he might add is an exploration of how a recovery orientation influences core professional values—honesty, humility, gratitude, forgiveness, respect, tolerance, service, etc.

This seemed salient to Austin’s closing and it speaks to the importance of maintaining clarity about what constitutes a recovery orientation and the values associated with recovery.

Unknown's avatar

Published by Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.

One thought on “More on differing compensation and expectations in the peer recovery workforce.”

  1. You both illuminate the reality that recovery values are very different than those of the dominant medical treatment industrial complex, we would do well to protect peer supporters by building a national union and professional standards. Both of which are essential if peers are going to avoid being abused or exploited. However, the parable of David and Goliath is apt, without an intersectionally-oriented & values based interest convergence, peer supporters are going to remain at the bottom of the ladder. Maybe the next question is: who are our allies and who would benefit most from policy changes that would also benefit peers?

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.