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Abstract
In September 2001, Recovery Consultants of Atlanta, Inc. (RCA, Inc.), a faith-based, peer-led Recovery Community Organization (RCO), founded by a member of Atlantas 12-step addiction recovery community, received a 5 year, 1 million dollar Recovery Community Services Program (RCSP) award from the Federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), a division of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This award charged the founding member with the responsibility of developing and implementing a variety of Peer-Based Recovery Support Services (P-BRSS): interventions and programs designed to reduce relapse and sustain long term recovery among individuals overcoming drugs and/or alcohol addiction. Though there is little empirical support for P-BRSS, massive societal costs attributed to illicit drug use combined with incessant closing of both public and private drug treatment programs have prompted the need for innovative and cost efficient methods for curtailing Americas addiction problem. This dissertation examined the successes, challenges and experiences of RCA, Inc.s peer-led recovery program, with a special emphasis on how serviceswere developed, by whom, and for what audience. Outcome measures such as reduction in substance use, criminal activity, and substance use related ailments, i.e. HIV and Hepatitis C infections, among service recipients, were the parameters by which the program was evaluated.