Nami S-NV SCN samhsa - project name: nami-S-NV samhsa SCN publication summary: nami southern nevada will lead a statewide capacity-building project to strengthen nevada's peer support sector

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded NAMI Southern Nevada $149,471 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532).

NAMI Southern Nevada will lead a statewide capacity-building project to strengthen Nevada's peer support sector. The organization will build its own capacity to sustain a peer recovery support specialist (PRSS) workforce through supervision, documentation, Medicaid readiness, employer partnerships, data systems, and sustainability planning. NAMI Southern Nevada will pilot a replicable PRSS cohort-to-certification, supervision, and placement model and develop a shared advocacy plan to elevate peer voice in behavioral health policy and planning. Tools and lessons learned will be disseminated statewide through Nevada's NAMI affiliates via a peer workforce roadmap and career-pathway toolkit. The project does not provide clinical treatment services.

Performance occurs in Las Vegas, Nevada, with statewide reach across urban, rural, and frontier regions through NAMI-Nevada affiliates, behavioral health partners, employers, and state and regional planning bodies. The populations of focus include youth transitioning to adulthood and adults with serious mental illness; individuals with lived experience of mental health, substance use, co-occurring behavioral health, crisis, justice-system, homelessness, and housing-instability; family members; PRSS trainees and supervisors; and partners serving priority populations. The period of performance runs through September 29, 2029.

The project will first build nami S-NV's organizational capacity to sustain a peer recovery support specialist (PRSS) workforce, including supervision, documentation, medicaid readiness, employer partnerships, data systems, and sustainability planning. Nami S-NV will pilot a replicable PRSS cohort-to-certification, supervision, and placement model, while working with partners to develop a shared advocacy plan that elevates peer voice in behavioral health policy and planning. Tools and lessons learned will then be shared with nevada's nami affiliates so they can assess and build the capacity needed to adapt the model in their regions, with statewide dissemination through the peer workforce roadmap and career-pathway toolkit. Geographic area and capacity development need: while nami-S NV is located in LAS vegas, clark county, nevada, the project will reach communities across nevada, including urban, rural, and frontier regions, through nami-NV affiliates, behavioral health partners, employers, and state and regional planning bodies. Population of focus: includes youth transitioning into adulthood and adults with serious mental illness; people with lived mental health, substance use, CO-occurring behavioral health, crisis, justice-system, homelessness, and housing-instability experience; family members and loved ones; PRSS trainees, certified PRSS, and PRSS supervisors; and partners serving priority populations through settings such as ccbhcs, homelessness services, recovery supports, crisis/community behavioral health, and peer-led community programs. This is a capacity-building project and will not provide clinical treatment services. Strategies and interventions to increase capacity: nami S-NV will convene the nevada behavioral health and wellness collaborative; develop and annually update a statewide peer workforce roadmap; strengthen internal and nami-NV affiliates governance, fiscal, HR, supervision, data, technology/security, medicaid billing, and sustainability systems; map advisory bodies and prepare peers for leadership; pilot a samhsa competency-based PRSS cohort-to-certification model; execute employer mous; deliver suicide prevention and early intervention trainings; and publish a statewide peer career-pathway toolkit. Project goals and measurable objectives: goal 1: develop, implement, and annually update a statewide peer workforce roadmap by september 30, 2029. Objectives include submitting the roadmap within the first three months, updating IT annually, and publishing a sustainability and dissemination plan by month 36. Goal 2: strengthen nami S-NV's organizational infrastructure to sustain peer support. Objectives include completing a succession plan by month 18, implementing core governance and operational policies by end of year 2, establishing medicaid reimbursement infrastructure by the end of year 2, and formalizing a diversified sustainability model by project end. Goal 3: strengthen peer voice and leadership in nevada's behavioral health policy and advisory systems. Objectives include mapping advisory bodies by month 9, supporting certified PRSS representation on at least 30% of identified advisory bodies lacking PRSS representation by the end of year 2, and delivering at least three nami smarts for advocacy workshops before and during the 2027 and 2029 nevada legislative sessions. Goal 4: strengthen nevada's PRSS workforce pipeline. Objectives include piloting a replicable PRSS cohort-to-certification model; executing at least 6 employer mous; delivering at least 6 suicide prevention or early intervention trainings that reach at least 75 community members annually; and publishing a statewide peer career-pathway toolkit by the end of year 3.