Peer Leadership. Community Impact.
In the summer of 2025, a group of Peer Recovery Specialists from across Rhode Island came together to begin building something long overdue—a professional organization dedicated to supporting and representing the peer recovery workforce.
We’re a growing statewide movement of Peer Recovery Specialists (PRS) who provide recovery support in just about every setting you can think of—treatment centers, recovery community centers, crisis response teams, street outreach, emergency rooms, the justice system, community mental health organizations, organizations serving veterans.
That’s why a professional association matters—to help Peer Recovery Specialists stay connected, supported, and growing as a unified field. For Peer Recovery Specialists, this means having a dedicated structure to promote high standards of practice, offer opportunities for training and growth, advocate for fair pay and working conditions, and ensure that our voices are heard in the systems we serve. As our field continues to expand, the need for coordination, leadership, and a unified voice has never been greater.
CONTACT US
RIPRPA is proudly housed within RICARES, a trusted, independent voice in the recovery landscape. RICARES is Rhode Island’s only grassroots recovery community organization and the only recovery provider in the state that does not deliver direct peer-based recovery support services—ensuring neutrality and broad representation. RICARES is also independent, not owned by a hospital or behavioral health provider, and is led by a Board. This makes RICARES the ideal home for a professional association that centers lived experience, values community leadership, and speaks boldly for the peer recovery workforce.
Tricia Kehl
Membership Engagement Coordinator
Email: tkehl@ricares.org
Direct Line:
(401) 602-5239
RICARES Main Line:
(401) 475-2960
RICARES Email:
operations@ricares.org
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Join RIPRA
We strive to elevate the Peer Recovery Specialist workforce through advocacy, training, and community-building, while upholding the values of lived experience, mutual respect, and a collective voice for systems change. -
Become Advisory Council
The RIPRPA Advisory Council is a leadership body that guides policy, strategy, and workforce development for certified peer recovery specialists. -
Member Spotlight Nomination
Do you know an exceptional Peer Recovery Specialist? Please nominate them here to be featured on our next RIPRPA Newsletter!