Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41864511›Full record

ArticleJournal of substance use and addiction treatment2026

Perspectives on peer recovery support for people experiencing homelessness: A qualitative study of key informants from national health care for the homeless programs.

Danielle R Fine, Bailey Little, Angela Ma, Nora Sporn, Travis P Baggett, Gina R Kruse

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Danielle R FineDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. Electronic address: drfine@mgh.harvard.edu.
Bailey LittleDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Angela MaDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Nora SpornDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Travis P BaggettDivision of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Cambridge Street, 16th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, 780 Albany Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Gina R KruseDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12631 E 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.

Funding

Peer recovery support for people experiencing homelessness with opioid use disorderK23DA058200 · NIDA · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Danielle Rebecca Fine · 2024 to 2026
$668k
NIDA NIH HHS K23 DA058200
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPeople experiencing homelessness face high rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) with substantial barriers to treatment. Peer recovery support-delivered by individuals with lived experience of substance use and recovery-has emerged as a promising strategy for improving OUD care. However, little is known about peer recovery support within Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) programs.

methodsWe conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 18 key informants from six stand-alone HCH programs across the United States, including program leaders (n = 6), OUD clinicians (n = 6), and peer recovery support specialists (PRSSs; n = 6). Interviews explored perspectives on peer support roles, perceived impacts, implementation, and sustainability. We used an inductive approach for codebook development, and themes were developed iteratively, examining patterns within and across key informant groups.

resultsParticipants agreed that peer recovery support is highly valued and uniquely well-suited to the HCH context. PRSSs were viewed as critical to engaging individuals experiencing homelessness by building trust, addressing social needs, navigating fragmented systems, and providing harm-reduction-oriented, flexible support. Key implementation challenges included role ambiguity, training and supervision, workforce sustainability (risk of relapse and emotional burn out), structural constraints, and financing instability. Lack of sustainable funding was identified as a major threat to long-term program viability.

conclusionsKey informants perceived that peer recovery support enhances OUD care in the HCH setting through rapport building and practical supports tailored to the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Strengthening workforce infrastructure, clarifying role expectations, and developing sustainable financing mechanisms are critical to realizing the full potential of peer support within HCH programs.

Indexed as

Ill-Housed PersonsOpioid-Related DisordersPeer GroupSocial SupportHumansQualitative ResearchUnited StatesHomelessnessOpioid use disorderPeer recovery supportSubstance use treatment

Identifiers

PMID41864511
PMCPMC13059682

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.