As people with lived experience of addiction and recovery, peer recovery coaches (PRCs) are often the lynchpin to engaging people in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and supporting them in recovery. FORE has funded several organizations that employ people with lived experience of addiction and recovery in innovative ways.

Despite their expanding presence in care delivery, little is still known about the experiences of this workforce, the scope of their assignments, and the challenges they face in launching and maintaining their careers. FORE commissioned a national survey of PRCs hoping to better understand and support this critical component of the workforce. Building on previously completed qualitative research, the survey of PRCs was a self-administered web survey that was fielded from October 25, 2022, to January 19, 2023 to certified PRCs in 11 states. A total of 1,174 PRCs who support individuals with OUD completed the survey. The study was conducted in partnership with the survey research firm SSRS.