We promote valued prevention and early intervention roles for young adult peers, as a strategy for better meeting the needs of youth:

Project Amp builds on a decades-long tradition of peer support as a model for engagement and asset-building for people facing substance use and mental health challenges. Peer support shines light on a person’s strengths, hopes, and abilities, while sharing information and relatable lived experiences to help a person build well-being. Young adults with lived experiences of recovery and resiliency have tremendous wisdom to share with youth as they navigate life and may face substance use risks and related behavioral health challenges. The tools learned as a person working towards recovery and well-being are valuable to everyone, even those at different stages of substance use risk or active substance use.

Too often, continuums of prevention, treatment, and recovery fall short in meeting the needs of communities – and especially youth. Service options may be limited and not tailored to the developmental needs of young people. Project Amp helps to fill a critical gap in this continuum. Because it is flexible and person-centered, Project Amp spans prevention and early intervention purposes, and can serve as a bridge to treatment and recovery support options. Project Amp is inherently flexible and adaptable, so communities can adopt and embed the model in ways that are responsive to local cultures, contexts, and concerns – within schools, health care settings, and other community-based organizations.