POLICY PRIORITIES 2025
Culturally Responsive Recovery. Harm Reduction. Equity in Action.
At Peer2Peer Recovery, we know that healing doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens in systems that either support or block the path forward. As a peer-led, culturally grounded organization, we’re working to change those systems from the inside out.
Our 2025 policy priorities are rooted in lived experience — shaped by the voices of our staff, volunteers, and the communities we serve. These goals focus on breaking down barriers, building support, and making recovery a reality for all, especially East African, immigrant, and underserved populations in Minnesota.
What We're Advocating For in 2025
🔹 1. Strengthen Funding for Peer Services
Why it matters: Peer-led support works — but it’s often underfunded.
What we support:
- County and managed care contracts with Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs)
- Public health funding and grants for peer mentorship, harm reduction, and group services
🔹 2. Reimburse Peer Support Through Medicaid
Why it matters: Many of our clients are Medicaid recipients — but peer services aren’t always covered.
What we support:
- Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS) as Medicaid-eligible providers under Minnesota’s 1115 Waiver
- Integration of peer services into Social Care Networks
🔹 3. Expand Peer-Supported Housing Options
Why it matters: Safe, stable housing is foundational to recovery.
What we support:
- Housing access for clients using medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
- Funding priorities for peer-based recovery housing
- Housing models designed and staffed with peer input
🔹 4. Build Recovery-Friendly Employment Pathways
Why it matters: Employment creates stability — but stigma still locks people out.
What we support:
- Employer education on recovery and second chances
- Job readiness workshops and hiring events for people in recovery
- Fair pay and opportunities for Peer Recovery Specialists
🔹 5. Advancing Harm Reduction in Underserved Communities
Why it matters: Stigma and cultural barriers keep people from life-saving care.
What we support:
- Culturally tailored harm reduction education and events
- Community healing spaces with storytelling and peer-led panels
- Multilingual outreach with clinics, mosques, and churches
🔹 6. Improve Transportation Access for Recovery
Why it matters: No one should miss care, meetings, or job interviews due to lack of a ride.
What we support:
- Volunteer-based or partner-supported transport programs
- Transportation stipends for clients in recovery services
How We MovePolicy Forward
We don’t just advocate — we activate. Here’s how we turn goals into impact:
- We listen. Community surveys, recovery stories, and feedback guide every step.
- We partner. Collaboration with counties, clinics, housing agencies, and employers ensures change is local and real.
- We educate. We meet with legislators and local leaders to bring lived experience into policy conversations.
- We track results. Data and stories help us measure success — and improve our efforts year after year.