Healing Starts Here: How DCH Is Bringing Peer Recovery Services to Every Patient Care Team

Recovery doesn’t begin and end in a treatment center. Sometimes, it begins in an emergency room. In a quiet conversation at the bedside. In the moment someone finally says, “I can’t do this alone.”

At Daviess Community Hospital, recovery now starts in those exact moments—wherever they happen. As of May 2025, DCH has formally embedded certified Peer Recovery Specialists across every department in the health system, making support for individuals battling substance use disorder (SUD) available at the point of care, wherever that may be.

Whether someone is being seen in the Emergency Department, admitted for an unrelated medical issue, attending an outpatient appointment, or working with a case manager, Peer Recovery Services are now woven into the fabric of how DCH delivers care.

A Compassionate Expansion with Purpose

This expansion is more than operational. It’s a mission-driven shift toward whole-person, stigma-free support for those struggling with addiction.

“Our Peer Recovery Specialists are not only certified professionals—they’re individuals with lived experience in recovery,” said Katherine Gerren, LSW, CAPRC II, CSPR-CL, Program Manager for Peer Recovery Services at DCH. “Their presence on the clinical team brings a level of empathy, understanding, and trust that can be life-changing. It’s about meeting people where they are—physically and emotionally—and walking with them toward hope.”

Peer Recovery Specialists now work side by side with physicians, nurses, social workers, and case managers throughout the hospital. They consult on patient care, assist in building recovery plans, connect individuals to community resources, and provide emotional support at what is often the lowest—and most critical—moment of someone’s life.

What Peer Recovery Services at DCH Offers

Peer Recovery Services is designed to be accessible, compassionate, and personalized. No one needs a referral to receive support, and services are completely confidential. Whether you’re in the hospital for another reason or coming in for recovery support specifically, the Peer Recovery team is ready to walk beside you.

Here’s how they help:

✅ Personalized Recovery Plans

Every individual has a unique story. Peer Recovery Specialists help each person build a custom recovery plan tailored to their needs, goals, and pace.

✅ Guidance and Resource Connections

From treatment programs and mental health care to job placement and housing, Peer Recovery Specialists connect individuals with tangible tools and services for sustained recovery.

✅ Support for Loved Ones

Substance use disorder affects more than just the individual. Peer Recovery Services also offers resources, education, and support for family members and close friends who want to help—but don’t always know how.

✅ Continued Encouragement

The recovery journey isn’t linear. DCH’s Peer Recovery team is there for every high and low, offering consistent check-ins, reassurance, and real-life guidance—because they’ve lived it too.

Lived Experience at the Core

What makes DCH’s Peer Recovery Services truly stand apart is that every recovery specialist brings lived experience with addiction and recovery to their work.

That experience builds trust—fast. It replaces shame with connection. And it shows patients something they may not have seen in a long time: someone who understands.

“Our team is living proof that recovery is not only possible—it’s happening every day,” said Gerren. “We’ve been where our patients are. We remember how it felt. And now, we’re in a position to help them believe in something better.”

Recovery Support—Right Where It’s Needed Most

By embedding Peer Recovery Specialists directly into clinical settings, DCH removes one of the greatest barriers to care: the gap between the moment someone says “yes” to help, and the availability of that help.

That support is now immediate and personal—available during a hospital stay, at the time of diagnosis, during discharge planning, or even in the waiting room.

“No one should have to go through addiction alone,” Gerren said. “By making Peer Recovery part of every care team, we’re making it clear that substance use disorder is a health issue—one we treat with the same urgency, compassion, and dedication as any other.”

How to Get Started

Peer Recovery Services at Daviess Community Hospital is open to anyone in the community. Services are available for people at any stage of substance use disorder—whether they’re actively using, ready to seek treatment, or supporting someone they care about.

📞 Call: (812) 254-2760, ext. 4178
📍 Visit: 3rd Floor, Daviess Community Hospital, 1314 East Walnut, Washington, IN
🔗 Request support online: dchosp.org/peerrecovery

Because Recovery Should Never Have to Wait

By integrating Peer Recovery Specialists across the hospital system, Daviess Community Hospital is making a powerful statement: help is here—right here, right now.

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use disorder, don’t wait. Reach out. Hope is just a conversation away. 💙