Project C.O.R.E. (capacity, operations, & recovery enhancement) strengthens the internal systems needed for infrastructure development while advancing recovery workforce capacity and services. -…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Mental Health Association In Indiana Inc. $146,553 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532).

Project C.O.R.E. (Capacity, Operations, & Recovery Enhancement) will strengthen Indiana's statewide mental health peer workforce and peer-run organization infrastructure over three years through September 29, 2029. The recipient will deliver statewide training, credentialing support, technical assistance, leadership development, outreach, peer advisory activities, and workforce pathways to peer-run organizations across Indiana. Key deliverables include annual mental health support training for at least 100 participants, Certified Peer Recovery Coach (CPRC) training for 54 participants annually, monthly upskilling webinars for at least 90 peers annually, and structured technical assistance to multiple peer-run organizations. The project serves adults aged 18 and older with serious mental illness or other mental health conditions, transition-age youth with mental health needs, peer workers and emerging peer leaders, and staff or leaders of peer-run organizations. The population includes individuals who are veterans, justice-involved, experiencing homelessness or housing instability, unemployed or underemployed, and those with trauma exposure or co-occurring behavioral health needs across rural, urban, and urban-rural Indiana communities. Place of performance is Indianapolis, Indiana.

Project C.O.R.E. (capacity, operations, & recovery enhancement) strengthens the internal systems needed for infrastructure development while advancing recovery workforce capacity and services. - mental health america of indiana recovery network project C.O.R.E. (capacity, operations, & recovery enhancement) will strengthen indiana's statewide mental health peer workforce and peer-run organization (pro) infrastructure by offering training, support, and capacity building to expand access to recovery-oriented, non-clinical peer support for adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and other mental health conditions, as well as youth moving into adulthood. Over three years C.O.R.E. Will deliver statewide training, credentialing support, technical assistance (TA), leadership development, outreach, peer advisory activities, and workforce pathways to bolster pros in indiana. The project will serve at least 100 participants annually through the six hour mental health support training, 54 cprc training package participants annually, at least 90 peers annually through monthly upskilling webinars, and multiple pros through structured TA. The project population includes indiana adults aged 18 and older with SMI or other mental health conditions; transition-age youth with mental health needs; people with lived mental health or CO-occurring experience; peer workers and emerging peer leaders; and staff or leaders of pro's. Participants may include males and females, veterans, and individuals with justice system involvement, child welfare, social services, homelessness, housing instability, unemployment or underemployment, rural, urban, and urban-rural community involvement. Clinical and service characteristics include mental illness, SMI, CO-occurring behavioral health needs, trauma exposure, recovery needs, and need for non-clinical peer support, referral, leadership, workforce development, and community-based recovery resources. Key deliverables include developing and annually updating a statewide peer support and capacity-building plan; delivering the six-hour non-clinical mental health support: skills, systems, and self-care training; providing cprc training packages that include the five-day cprc training, two-day peer ethics training, and certification exam support; offering monthly upskilling webinars and BI-monthly peer leadership webinars; expanding and supporting the peer advisory committee (PAC); providing quarterly leadership development training; delivering structured learning sessions and individualized TA to pros and emerging pros; collaborating with youth and family-serving partners; and implementing standardized data collection, performance monitoring, and continuous quality improvement processes. Project goals are to establish and maintain the statewide plan; expand awareness, reach, and organizational capacity of the pro model; strengthen the mental health peer workforce through training, credentialing, and skill development; and increase peer leadership and systems participation. Measurable objectives are to launch the statewide plan within three months of award and update IT annually; train at least 300 unduplicated participants over three years through 12 sessions of the six-hour training, or approximately 100 annually; achieve at least an 85% training completion rate, with 80% demonstrating increased knowledge and 85% reporting improved ability to provide recovery-oriented support; provide cprc training packages to 54 unduplicated individuals annually and 162 over three years; engage at least 270 peers over three years through monthly upskilling webinars, or approximately 90 annually; offer BI-monthly leadership webinars with at least 15 participants per session; provide quarterly PAC leadership development training; support at least 12 mental health pro's or emerging pro's over the grant period through TA; and formalize collaboration with at least six statewide or regional youth and family-serving partners.