Peer Intensive Care Services

What services do Peer Intensive Care Specialists (PICS) provide within all four Tennessee Regional Mental Health Institutes (RMHI) and seven of Tennessee’s Crisis Stabilization Units (CSU)?

  • Facilitate peer support groups using a structured format for program service recipients
    • Recovery Education Groups
    • Introduce program service recipients to Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP®)
    • Share personal stories of recovery with program service recipients to inspire hope
  • Co-facilitate Crisis Recovery Groups for program service recipients
  • Participate in Treatment Team Meetings when possible
  • Assist in discharge planning for program service recipients and obtain discharge appointments for follow-up
  • Provide 1:1 peer support/peer engagement with program service recipients on the CSU/RMHI unit
  • Provide program service recipients with information about community resources, especially peer-led resources such as Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through Education (BRIDGES) and Support classes, WRAP® classes, and peer support groups
  • Inform service recipients about the PICS Program.
  • Obtain Informed Consent and Protected Health Information Releases prior to service recipient’s discharge.
Peer Intensive

What services are provided in the PICS Program after service recipient’s discharge from the CSU or RMHI:

  • PICS will contact service recipient within 24 hours of discharge
  • PICS will accompany service recipients to their first appointment if requested.
  • PICS and service recipient will meet face-to-face within 7 days of discharge to create a person-centered Care Coordination Support Plan for the purpose of developing an integrated support system within 90 days
  • At a minimum, the service recipient will receive a weekly follow-up/safety check call throughout the 90 days in the PICS program
  • Additionally, the PICS will visit face-to-face with the service recipient at 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days (discharge) to measure progress in building community supports.
  • Satisfaction Surveys are completed with the service recipients on day 30 and 90 after hospital discharge.

The ultimate goal is to reduce recidivism, increase support systems for service recipients that ultimately lead to wellness and recovery for the service recipients therefore reducing healthcare costs.

For more information, please contact mshrum@tmhca-tn.org or 615-440-2922.

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