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Peer assistance referrals rise as Texas program adds outreach role
Summary
The Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAP) reported higher referrals and overall caseload in its Q1 report; staff added an outreach and peer-support specialist position and plan further work on individualized monitoring and evidence-based treatment matrices.
The board received a quarterly report from the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAP) showing an increase in referrals and overall participants for the quarter that ran Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, 2024.
TPAP presenters said referrals rose from 118 in the prior quarter to 176 in the reporting quarter and total active cases increased from 603 to 635. Staff emphasized the growth as evidence the outreach and referral effort is reaching more nurses who need assistance for substance use disorder or mental-health conditions.
The program described changes to its staffing and operations, including creation of a full-time outreach and peer-support specialist position to strengthen volunteer peer support partners, increase community and employer outreach, and help ensure each participant who wants a peer support partner receives one. TPAP staff said the new position will also bolster social-media outreach across generations.
TPAP leaders said they are revising the program ssessment matrix and collecting evidence from subject-matter experts about best-practice treatment modalities and monitoring durations. The goal, TPAP staff said, is to develop more individualized monitoring plans that balance participant-centered care with accountability and patient safety.
Board members asked whether TPAP receives additional funding beyond the board contract. TPAP staff said the program is largely funded through a renewal-fee surcharge administered by the board and that fundraising opportunities exist but have not been widely tapped by the program's nonprofit partners.
Members and staff praised TPAP's enrollment growth and said the program will return to the board as it refines its individualized-treatment matrix and if it requests additional funding through the budget process.
