Justin Volpe is the senior peer support coordinator at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). Uniquely qualified for this position, he is deeply committed to helping individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders succeed in the community, particularly those who have been involved with the criminal justice system.
Before you came to NASMHPD, you served as a certified recovery peer specialist for Miami-Dade County’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project Jail Diversion Program. How did you become a peer specialist, and what were your responsibilities?
My path to that position really started back in high school, when I turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the death of my best friend. This escalated mental health problems that run in my family. I graduated, but over the next few years, I struggled, dropping out of college and frequently changing housing and jobs. After an unsuccessful attempt at rehab, I became very paranoid and delusional due to what was eventually diagnosed (many years later) as schizoaffective disorder. The medication I received helped control these symptoms, but when I started feeling better, I stopped taking it.
I decompensated very quickly, and in April 2007, I was arrested on a felony charge and placed on the psychiatric unit of the jail, where my mental health status further declined. Through my family’s advocacy, I was referred to the Jail Diversion Program. After some stops and starts, I graduated from the treatment program. The very day my court case was closed, the project director of the Jail Diversion Program offered me a job as a peer specialist.
In this role, I helped people navigate the process of reentering the community from incarceration. On the day of their release, I welcomed them with a change of clothes and a meal and transported them to their housing. A big part of the job was helping them build relationships in the community that would advance their goals, such as recovery and employment. My work as a peer specialist with Miami-Dade County is featured in this video.
We hear a lot lately about the behavioral workforce shortage. How does this impact the work of peer specialists?
The behavioral health field has always experienced tremendous turnover, and this situation was brought to national attention during COVID. When organizations are scrambling to meet need, they often adopt an “all-hands-on-deck” approach. Peer specialists may be asked to assume tasks more appropriate for a case manager, so it’s important to define roles and responsibilities.
Some organizations are now training experienced peer specialists as supervisors to newly hired individuals, which provides growth and mentoring opportunities for both parties. Establishing career pathways is a great way to attract more people to peer specialist work. SMI Adviser and NASMHPD partnered recently to develop a guide to help behavioral health treatment employers hire peers or persons with lived experience of serious mental illness and substance use disorders and criminal justice involvement.
You have helped thousands of people in the criminal justice system who have mental health conditions and co-occurring disorders, trained Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) law enforcement officers, and traveled the globe sharing your story. What is the most satisfying aspect of your career?
One of my greatest sources of satisfaction is “humanizing” people with behavioral health challenges who are involved with the criminal justice system. These are people going through a tough time who deserve to be treated with respect. They all have a story that brought them to the justice system, and incarceration makes navigating their situations more difficult. By sharing my story, I can spread messages of understanding and hope.
I’m grateful to be in a position that allows me to fight for people’s rights, helping them advocate for themselves for what they need to stay well and to stay out of jail. The end goal for all of my work is to make recovery options and community supports more readily available so that any involvement with the criminal justice system is prevented.
As a recipient of CIT International’s Person with Lived Experience of the Year award, what words of advice do you have for others who want to give back to the community?
You can start giving back by sharing your life experiences at the community level. Building relationships and trust is the first step to giving and receiving help.
My experiences as both client and employee of the Jail Diversion Program turned my life around. What brings me hope is more people having alternatives to getting help before incarceration. Everyone deserves an opportunity to gain insight and access resources that allow them to thrive in their community.
People have big hearts, but keep in mind flight attendants’ advice about putting on your oxygen mask first before helping others. I had to learn how to give myself the same time, space, and care that I give to the folks I help. Tending to my own healing and recovery allows me to be fully present for them.
Do what it takes to stay well. For me, it’s family time, meditating, playing basketball, gardening, going to the beach, and checking in with my therapist when needed.
I believe there is a higher purpose for what happens, even if I don’t recognize it at first. I’ve been through difficult times, but those difficult times brought me to a better place.
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