Oklahoma peer leadership network (OPLN): building recovery, leadership, and voice across oklahoma - nami oklahoma will establish the oklahoma peer leadership network (OPLN), a statewide initiative…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded $149,998 to NAMI Oklahoma, Inc. on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532).

NAMI Oklahoma will establish the Oklahoma Peer Leadership Network (OPLN), a statewide initiative to strengthen Oklahoma's mental health consumer network through peer workforce development, consumer leadership, and peer-led recovery supports. OPLN will develop and annually update a statewide consumer network plan; strengthen governance, strategic planning, succession planning, evaluation, technology, and sustainability efforts; expand peer workforce recruitment, training, and leadership development; and increase consumer participation in advocacy, behavioral health planning, and systems-change activities. The initiative will serve transition-age youth and young adults ages 16–25 and adults living with serious mental illness throughout Oklahoma, with priority outreach to individuals in rural and frontier communities, veterans, individuals experiencing housing instability, youth transitioning from child welfare or juvenile justice systems, and adults involved in the criminal justice system. Work is performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with a period of performance from September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2029.

Oklahoma peer leadership network (OPLN): building recovery, leadership, and voice across oklahoma - nami oklahoma will establish the oklahoma peer leadership network (OPLN), a statewide initiative designed to strengthen oklahoma's mental health consumer network by expanding peer workforce development, consumer leadership, and access to peer-led recovery supports for transition-age youth and adults living with serious mental illness. Through statewide planning, leadership development, and expansion of peer-led programs, OPLN will increase peer voice, strengthen organizational sustainability, and improve recovery support opportunities throughout oklahoma. Nami oklahoma, the oklahoma state organization of the national alliance on mental illness, seeks funding through the statewide consumer network program to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of oklahoma's statewide peer-run organization. OPLN will serve transition-age youth and young adults ages 16-25 and adults living with serious mental illness throughout oklahoma, with priority outreach to individuals living in rural and frontier communities, veterans, individuals experiencing housing instability, youth transitioning from child welfare or juvenile justice systems, and adults involved in the criminal justice system. OPLN addresses statewide needs for increased peer workforce capacity, stronger leadership pathways, greater consumer participation in behavioral health planning and policy development, and sustainable peer-led recovery supports. To increase statewide capacity, nami oklahoma will develop and annually update a statewide consumer network plan; strengthen governance, strategic planning, succession planning, evaluation, technology, and sustainability efforts; expand peer workforce recruitment, training, and leadership development; and increase consumer participation in advocacy, behavioral health planning, and systems-change activities. A central component of OPLN will be the development of a statewide peer leadership pipeline that creates pathways from program participation to leadership, advocacy, workforce, and governance roles. The project will expand the next generation advisory council, establish a statewide peer leadership council, implement monthly nami smarts advocacy trainings, and engage individuals with lived experience in project planning, implementation, and evaluation. OPLN will utilize nami peer-to-peer, nami connection recovery support groups, and in our own voice presentations, supported by affiliate mini-grants, to strengthen local capacity, develop peer leaders, and expand access to peer-led recovery education throughout oklahoma. Key objectives include implementing a statewide consumer network plan within 90 days of award; training at least 12 peer-to-peer facilitators and establishing in-state training capacity; increasing trained nami connection facilitators from 25 to 40 and in our own voice presenters from 14 to 30; expanding youth and peer leadership councils; increasing participation in advocacy and systems-change activities by 25 percent; increasing annual nami connection participation from 191 to 300 individuals and support group occurrences from 40 to 60 annually; increasing in our own voice presentations from 30 to 50 annually; and supporting affiliate-led peer-to-peer implementation through mini-grants. Through these activities, OPLN will strengthen oklahoma's peer workforce, elevate peer voice in behavioral health systems, and expand recovery-oriented supports for individuals living with serious mental illness.