An Act To Increase the Effectiveness of Peer Supports in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1209
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: GATTINE, HASKELL, HAMANN, PETERSON, DAVIS, KATZ
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-I, 34-B MRSA §3613, 34-B MRSA §3801

Legislative Document 
No. 1209 
H.P. 827 
House of Representatives, April 2, 2015 
An Act To Increase the Effectiveness of Peer Supports in the State 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative GATTINE of Westbrook. 
Cosponsored by Senator HASKELL of Cumberland and 
Representatives: HAMANN of South Portland, PETERSON of Rumford, Senators: DAVIS of 
Piscataquis, KATZ of Kennebec. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§36-F is enacted to read: 
36-F.   
Sec. 2.  34-B MRSA §3613 is enacted to read: 
§3613.  Peer support services 
The department shall provide peer support services through intentional peer support 
specialists who have been certified to provide peer support services, as provided in this 
section, to consumers of mental health services who are clients of the department. 
1.  Definitions.  For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise 
indicates, the following terms have the following meanings: 
A.  "Peer support services" means services, assistance and supports that are based on 
the principles of mutual respect, responsibility and decision making and that are 
provided to persons with mental illness by intentional peer support specialists. 
B.  "Intentional peer support specialist" means a person: 
(1)  Who has or who previously had a diagnosis of a mental illness, who is 
receiving or has received mental health services and supports and who is in 
recovery from mental illness; and 
(2)  Who is certified by the department under subsection 3. 
2.  Provision of peer support services.  Peer support services must be provided by 
certified intentional peer support specialists who function as part of a community mental 
health or physical health program that includes a certified intentional peer support 
component.  An assertive community treatment team providing mental health services on 
behalf of the department must include within its staff at least one full-time intentional 
peer support specialist as provided in section 3801, subsection 11. 
3.  Certification.  The department shall certify intentional peer support specialists as 
provided in rules adopted by the department after consultation with the Intentional Peer 
Support Advisory Committee as established in Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 36-F 
and the entity that contracts with the department under subsection 4. 
4.  Contracted services.  The department shall contract with an entity for the 
provision and management of peer support services, including, but not limited to, the 
following services: 
A.  Recruiting, training, supervising and overseeing intentional peer support 
specialists; and 
Human Services 
Intentional Peer 
Support Advisory 
Committee 
Expenses and Per 
Diem 
34-B MRSA §3613 
B.  Conducting informational sessions statewide on the functions and qualifications 
of intentional peer support specialists. 
5.  Advisory committee.  The department shall appoint and convene the Intentional 
Peer Support Advisory Committee, referred to in this subsection as "the committee," 
consisting of 8 to 16 intentional peer support specialists, to advise the department on 
recruiting, training, supervising and overseeing intentional peer support specialists and to 
make recommendations to the department on those issues and on standards for training 
and approval, fidelity standards and oversight.  The department shall make appointments 
to the committee from a list of nominees provided by the Consumer Council System of 
Maine, established in Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 60-B.  The committee must 
meet at least 6 times per year.  Members of the committee must be reimbursed for 
expenses and paid a per diem for attendance at meetings. 
6.  Rulemaking.  The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.  Rules 
adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 3.  34-B MRSA §3801, sub-§11, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. BBBB, 
§3 and affected by §20, is amended to read: 
11.  Assertive community treatment.  "Assertive community treatment" or "ACT" 
means a self-contained service with a fixed point of responsibility for providing 
treatment, rehabilitation and support services to persons with mental illness for whom 
other community-based treatment approaches have been unsuccessful.  Assertive 
community treatment uses clinical and rehabilitative staff to address symptom stability; 
relapse prevention; maintenance of safe, affordable housing in normative settings that 
promote well-being; establishment of natural support networks to combat isolation and 
withdrawal; the minimizing of involvement with the criminal justice system; individual 
recovery education; and services to enable the person to function at a work site. Assertive 
community treatment is provided by multidisciplinary teams who are on duty 24 hours 
per day, 7 days per week; teams must include a psychiatrist, registered nurse, certified 
rehabilitation counselor or certified employment specialist, a full-time certified 
intentional peer recovery support specialist as provided in section 3613 and a substance 
abuse counselor and may include an occupational therapist, community-based mental 
health rehabilitation technician, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker or licensed 
clinical professional counselor.  An ACT team member who is a state employee is, while 
in good faith performing a function as a member of an ACT team, performing a 
discretionary function within the meaning of Title 14, section 8104-B, subsection 3. 
Sec. 4.  Funding for peer support services provided to clients of the 
Department of Health and Human Services.  The office of substance abuse and 
mental health services within the Department of Health and Human Services shall 
provide peer support services under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 34-B, section 3613.  
The costs of peer support services and the Intentional Peer Support Advisory Committee, 
as established in Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 36-F, must be met through the 
transfer of funding within the Mental Health - Community account and the Mental Health 
- Community Medicaid account and through the discontinuance of 2 full-time positions 
within the office of substance abuse and mental health services.   
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes a peer support services program in the office of substance abuse 
and mental health services within the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill 
requires each assertive community treatment team to include at least one full-time 
intentional peer support specialist certified by the department.  "Intentional peer support 
specialist" is defined.  The bill requires the department to appoint and convene the 
Intentional Peer Support Advisory Committee. The bill requires the department to adopt 
necessary rules and designates the rules as routine technical rules.  The bill requires the 
costs of intentional peer support services and the advisory committee to be met through 
the transfer of funding from the Mental Health - Community account and the Mental 
Health - Community Medicaid account and through the discontinuance of 2 full-time 
positions within the office of substance abuse and mental health services.