MAPS — Maryland Advocates for Peer Support

BALTIMORE CITY PILOT INITIATIVE

Protecting the people who make peer support possible.

A peer-led workforce advocacy and professional-support initiative beginning in Baltimore City and built for statewide impact.

Maryland Advocates for Peer Support

Organized by Odenkyem-Wade Limited (OWL) · Baltimore City | July 2026

1 CHECKPOINT ONE.

THE CASE

Peer Recovery Specialists combine lived experience with formal preparation, ethical practice, and systems knowledge — making recovery systems more human, credible, and accessible through professional nonclinical support.

System Advocacy
Resource Linkage
Mentoring & Support
Goal Setting
Social Support
System Navigation

173%

Increase in certified peer support specialists nationwide over the last decade — from 30,000 to 82,000.

Research Associations

Lower inpatient utilization & costs
Greater hope & quality of life
Higher service engagement

Source: SAMHSA, "Peer Support Specialists: A Growing Mental Health and Addictions Workforce," PEP24-08-005, 2024. Clinical associations presented as research-linked outcomes, not guaranteed local results.

579

MABPCB-Certified Peer Specialists Statewide

Reported October 2023

17.4

Per 100,000 Residents — Mid-Pack Nationally

Leaders: Kentucky 186 · Washington 119 · North Carolina 95

System Expectations — CPRS Rigor

50 hours of peer-specific education & ethics
500 supervised service hours in 2 years
Minimum 30 hours of recovery peer supervision
Strict adherence to ethical conduct & confidentiality
Navigation of complex clinical & service systems

Source: Peer Recovery Center of Excellence, "National Distribution of Certified Peer Support Specialists in the U.S." (2024) — Maryland data from MABPCB (Oct 2023); per-capita per PR CoE (2023 U.S. Census). CPRS requirements: MABPCB.

Accountability Principle

"Ethical accountability must apply not only to Peer Recovery Specialists, but also to the institutions that employ, supervise, credential, fund, and govern them."

The workforce cannot remain sustainable if accountability moves in only one direction.

While professional requirements have intensified, independent support systems for peers have remained static.

Critical Workforce Needs

Clear job roles and organizational policies
Fair compensation and accurate classification
Due process and independent complaint guidance
Protection from retaliation and overwork
Direct representation in regulatory decisions

Sources: MDH, HB 886 Testimony, 2026 · Bell et al., "Workforce Outcomes Among Substance Use Peer Supports," 2025.

Unclear job descriptions & scope
Inappropriate or absent supervision
Underpayment or uncompensated labor
Pressure to disclose recovery history
Retaliation for raising workplace safety
Confusion about complaint pathways

A single workplace concern often touches multiple authorities, each with different eligibility, deadlines, and remedies.

Employer Policy / HR

Internal grievance procedures, performance reviews, and personnel records.

MABPCB Ethics

Professional standards, credentialing status, and ethical code violations.

MCCR / Civil Rights

Employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation jurisdiction.

Safety / Reporting

Immediate hazards, mandatory reporting, and professional liability.

300 DAYS

MCCR Filing Deadline — Discrimination

2 YEARS

MCCR Filing Deadline — Harassment

15+ EMP.

General Jurisdiction — Standard

Source: Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, 2026.

2 CHECKPOINT TWO.

THE MODEL

The Proposed Response

AN INDEPENDENT CENTER FOR ETHICS NAVIGATION, WORKPLACE EDUCATION & SYSTEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY.

Proposed MAPS model — subject to community validation, Maryland counsel review, funding, and partnership agreements.

01Understand

Peer Ethics Navigation & Due Process

Helping complainants and respondents understand standards, prepare documentation, and navigate formal credentialing processes.

02Protect

Workplace Rights & Employment Advocacy

Education and referrals involving wages, classification, discrimination, accommodations, retaliation, and safe conditions.

03Document

Independent Complaints & Accountability

Receiving concerns, identifying appropriate channels, documenting recurring patterns, and recommending systemic improvements.

04Standardize

Policy, Research & Workforce Standards

Producing workforce data, model policies, compensation guidance, supervision standards, and annual reports.

05Sustain

Peer Benefits & Professional Support

Career assistance, certification support, wellness resources, peer-supervision circles, and benefit partnerships.

06Educate

Employer Education & Accountability

Guidance on appropriate peer roles, supervision, compensation, HR policies, and recovery-supportive workplaces.

Subject to community validation, Maryland counsel review & funding.

"MAPS turns isolated concerns into informed action, better policy, and stronger systems."

MARYLAND ADVOCATES FOR PEER SUPPORT PROTECTS AND ADVANCES THE RIGHTS, INTEGRITY, WELLNESS, AND PROFESSIONAL STANDING OF MARYLAND'S PEER-SUPPORT WORKFORCE THROUGH INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY, ETHICS NAVIGATION, WORKPLACE EDUCATION, AND COLLECTIVE ACTION.

Collective action refers to organized advocacy and workforce voice, not current collective-bargaining authority.

A MARYLAND IN WHICH PEER RECOVERY SPECIALISTS ARE RESPECTED AS SKILLED PROFESSIONALS, FAIRLY COMPENSATED, PROTECTED FROM EXPLOITATION, AND MEANINGFULLY REPRESENTED IN EVERY SYSTEM THAT REGULATES OR RELIES UPON PEER SUPPORT.

01

Baltimore City Pilot

02

Regional Expansion

03

Statewide Impact

Proposed MAPS model — subject to community validation, legal review, and partnership agreements.

Every concern deserves the right response — not every concern belongs in the same system.

01Concern Received

02Safety, Deadline, Privacy & Conflict Screen

03Issue Classification

04Pathway Identification

05Documentation Support

06Referral, Accompaniment or Voluntary Mediation

07Follow-up & Analysis

Sources: MCCR, "Intake Process"; MABPCB, CPRS requirements and ethics processes. Accessed July 21, 2026.

MABPCB Ethics

Credential-specific, ethical-standard, or professional-boundary concerns.

Employment & Labor

Potential wage, classification, discrimination, accommodation, or retaliation concerns.

Organizational

Internal grievances, leadership concerns, or role ambiguity.

Immediate Safety

Mandatory-reporting questions, immediate threats, or urgent recovery-support risks.

Navigation & Support Boundary

"MAPS DOES NOT DECIDE WHETHER A PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL HAS BEEN VIOLATED. MAPS HELPS ENSURE PEERS AND COMPLAINANTS UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, PARTICIPATE MEANINGFULLY, AND RECEIVE FAIR, TRAUMA-INFORMED, PROCEDURALLY CONSISTENT TREATMENT."

Authorized employers, regulators, certification bodies, and courts retain all decision-making authority.

Professional accountability must be matched by professional rights.

01

Role Clarity

Clear job descriptions, appropriate scope of practice, and qualified recovery-supportive supervision.

02

Fair Work

Fair compensation, accurate classification, timely payment, and equitable access to benefits.

03

Privacy & Autonomy

Strict protection of personal recovery, health, disability status, and lived-experience information.

04

Safe, Equitable Workplaces

Reasonable workloads, necessary accommodations, nondiscrimination, freedom from harassment.

05

Due Process

Clear allegations, meaningful opportunity to respond, written decisions, independent assistance.

06

Voice Without Retaliation

Protection when reporting unsafe, unethical, discriminatory, or unlawful practices.

Note: Final Bill of Rights to be co-developed with Baltimore's peer workforce during the discovery phase.

MAPS operates alongside — not beneath — established institutions. We maintain a strict firewall between technical assistance for employers and independent support for individual peer complaints.

"PARTNERSHIP WITHOUT INSTITUTIONAL CAPTURE."

MABPCB

Explain published credentialing standards and ethics processes
Support complaint and grievance navigation without prejudging outcomes
Recommend process improvements — MAPS has no enforcement or credential authority

MPAC

Explore complementary education, leadership, wellness, research, and public forums
Coordinate only with agreed roles, capacity, and confidentiality
Preserve independence and avoid duplicating existing functions

Employers

Offer training on peer roles, supervision, and recovery-supportive workplaces
Maintain a firewall between paid consulting and individual complaint support
Test improvements only with willing organizations and agreed safeguards

Baltimore context: MOED's Recovery-Friendly Program and MPAC's Peer Navigator Program show relevant local activity; inclusion does not imply endorsement, capacity, or partnership commitment.

3 CHECKPOINT THREE.

GOVERNANCE & ROADMAP

60%

Minimum Peer Majority Board Seats

Inclusive Representation

Baltimore City Frontline Peers
LGBTQIA+ & Diversity Inclusion
Mental Health & Substance Use
Justice-Impacted Pathways

Supporting Expertise

Labor Law
Ethics & Compliance
Nonprofit HR
Fiscal Management
Behavioral Health

Organizational members cannot control peer elections or individual complaint-related decisions. Subject to community validation.

Conflicts & Recusal

Rigorous standards to prevent institutional capture and bias in navigation.

Confidentiality

Secure data protocols protecting peer recovery and employment information.

Anti-Retaliation

Whistleblower protections for peers reporting unsafe or unethical conditions.

Dual-Rep Prohibition

Prevents conflicting representation between employers and employees.

Funder Independence

Diversified revenue ensures no single entity can influence advocacy outcomes.

Peer-Majority Bylaws

Structural requirements that cannot be altered without peer consensus.

"Peer leadership protected by design, not left to intention."

01MONTHS 1–3

Community Discovery

Listening sessions & stakeholder/referral mapping
Baltimore workforce needs assessment
Co-development of preliminary Bill of Rights

02MONTHS 4–6

Build the MVO

Navigation protocols & confidentiality standards
Secure case management & referral network
Workforce conditions survey launch

03MONTHS 7–9

Pilot Direct Services

Individual ethics & workplace rights consultations
Workforce-rights trainings & workshops
Strategic organizational & employer partnerships

04MONTHS 10–12

Publish & Advocate

First Baltimore Peer Workforce Conditions Brief
Formal policy recommendations & partner convening
Multi-year funding & statewide plan

25–40

Individual Consultations

100+

Survey Responses

05

Org Partnerships

03

Rights Trainings

Key Deliverables

Peer Bill of Rights
Navigation Protocols
Workforce Brief

Proposed planning targets — not historical results. Final targets validated after discovery, staffing, and partner assessment.

Access & Outreach

Peers served & reach across pathways
Intake-to-initial-response time
Consent-based referral connections

Navigation Effectiveness

Accuracy classifying concerns & pathways
Documentation plans & procedural understanding
Urgent deadlines identified & referred promptly

Workforce Engagement

Workshop & roundtable participation
Connections to certification & support
Reported satisfaction, trust & safety

Systems Accountability

Recurring systemic patterns identified
Model policies drafted & tested
Documented changes with agreed safeguards

Proposed year-one measures — not historical results. Baselines to be established after discovery and capacity assessment.

4 CHECKPOINT FOUR.

SUSTAIN & PARTNER

Workforce Intelligence

State of Baltimore's Peer Workforce

Annual report on employment settings, certification status, and demographics.

Workforce Intelligence

Compensation & Benefits Survey

Local data on wage levels, classification, and access to professional benefits.

Workforce Intelligence

Ethics & Complaint Trend Brief

De-identified analysis of recurring systemic barriers and procedural gaps.

Structural Standards

Model Peer Job Descriptions

Defined scopes of work to prevent role ambiguity and clinical drift.

Structural Standards

Model Supervision Standards

Guidelines for recovery-supportive and ethically sound peer supervision.

Structural Standards

Anti-Retaliation Model Policy

Framework for protecting peers who report safety or ethics concerns.

Strategic Guidance

Lived-Experience Disclosure

Best practices for protecting personal health and recovery information.

Strategic Guidance

Grant-Funded Position Standards

Recommendations for sustainable funding and equitable peer wages.

Strategic Guidance

Baltimore Peer Bill of Rights

Co-developed normative framework for professional dignity and due process.

The verified absence of Baltimore workforce baselines is a core driver for establishing these independent knowledge functions.

A diversified future revenue mix could support sustainability while protecting independence.

Philanthropic Support

Foundations and individual major donors focused on workforce development.

Public Funding

Baltimore City and Maryland state workforce and public health grants.

Membership Dues

Tiered professional dues with scholarship and hardship options.

Technical Assistance

Potential earned income from employer education and supervision training.

Research Contracts

Data partnerships for de-identified workforce climate and conditions analysis.

Training & Education

Potential fees for non-credit ethics, navigation, and workforce-rights training.

Proposed model — not established revenue. Categories and corporate/tax path require counsel and fiscal-sponsor review.

01

Fiscal Sponsorship — Initial launch under an established 501(c)(3) partner

02

Baltimore Pilot Launch — 6–12 month proof-of-concept & data collection

03

Maryland Nonstock Nonprofit — Independent state-level incorporation & bylaws

04

Public Charity Status — Formal IRS 501(c)(3) determination for statewide impact

"NO SINGLE ORGANIZATION SUBJECT TO MAPS ADVOCACY OR REVIEW SHOULD BECOME FINANCIALLY CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING MAPS."

MAPS invites founding funders, legal partners, and peer leaders to invest in the essential support structure that Baltimore's peer workforce deserves.

Founding Funders

Seed capital for the 12-month pilot phase
General operating support for capacity
Investment in statewide sustainability

Legal & Policy

Pro bono legal support for rights education
Assistance with ethics navigation & due process
Policy research & legislative alignment

Peer Leaders

Steering committee & founding board seats
Community discovery & needs assessment
Advocacy training & outreach leadership

Institutions

Referral network integration & alignment
Commitment to the Bill of Rights
Employer education & TA collaboration

MAPS is seeking initial commitments for the Year-One Pilot. Categories and scopes are subject to formal agreement and legal review.

MAPS begins as a coalition. We invite partners across Baltimore to form a founding taskforce that closes the gaps in the peer workforce — and builds lasting longevity and safety for Peer Support Workers.

We're Inviting to the Table

Research Institutions

Mayor's Office Departments

MABPCB

MPAC

On Our Own of Maryland

Peer-Serving Organizations

Peer Workforce Leaders

Together we start with one taskforce — mapping the workforce gaps and advancing shared strategies that keep Peer Support Workers safe, supported, and in the field for the long term.

Founding partners help shape scope, governance, and priorities · admin@odenkyemwade.info · (410) 929-4009.

Before we build, we listen. A confidential survey of Baltimore's peer workforce turns lived experience into the evidence base that shapes every MAPS service.

What We Capture

Roles, scope, and classification
Compensation, benefits, and job security
Supervision, safety, and workload
Complaint experience and training gaps

How It Operationalizes MAPS

Prioritizes navigation and advocacy services
Grounds the Peer Bill of Rights in local data
Sets year-one baselines and success measures

What It Builds

Rights, ethics & navigation trainings for Peers
Recovery-supportive workplace & supervision trainings for employers
Model policies and shared workforce standards

Take the Workforce Survey

Access code peer2peer

Confidential and de-identified · co-designed with peers · establishes the baseline for year-one measurement · airtable.com/…/form

A Stronger Peer Workforce Creates a Stronger Recovery System

STRONGER PEERS.
STRONGER RECOVERY.

Maryland asks Peer Recovery Specialists to carry significant responsibility; MAPS ensures they do not carry it alone by building a system of mutual accountability and support.

Organized by Odenkyem-Wade Limited (OWL)
Chris-De-Vaun R. Odenkyem-Wade — Co-Founder & Lead Organizer
Marcus Parker-Wade — Co-Founder

Email — admin@odenkyemwade.info
Phone — (410) 929-4009

MAPS