Strengthening Systems with Peer Workforce Development
Workforce Innovation Starts Here
AHP’s Workforce Innovation Lab (WIL) partners with states, systems, and organizations to address complex workforce challenges across behavioral health and human services. You get a practical mix of strategy, data, and implementation support to move from insight to action—without navigating the work alone.
The workforce challenges we help you solve.
Strengthen career pathways, expand workforce entry points, and build durable pipelines from early exploration through credentialing and advancement, including peer workforce development.
Improve retention and engagement through effective supervision, leadership development, and inclusive workplace cultures that support staff well-being and long-term success.
Use workforce data to diagnose challenges, understand risk, and prioritize strategies grounded in real system conditions.
Improve policies, processes, and certification systems to reduce barriers, strengthen equity, and support sustainable workforce growth.
Solutions in Action
California Behavioral Health Workforce Development
Supported statewide initiatives to expand and strengthen workforce pipelines, including mentored internship programming.
Data analysis and workforce planning
Used workforce data to assess needs and support data-informed workforce planning strategies.
HRSA / Communities of Practice
Supported workforce capacity-building through communities of practice and peer learning models.
SUD certification modernization (California OES)
Helped modernize certification systems to reduce barriers, strengthen equity, and improve workforce pipeline outcomes.
Barriers to Peer Integration in the Workforce
As part of WIL’s workforce strategy work, we often identify common barriers to integrating peers into the broader behavioral health workforce, including:
- Unclear job roles, responsibilities, and education around professional boundaries
- Lack of a recovery-oriented workplace culture including policies and practices that support peers’ well-being and personal recovery
- Organizational cultures where peers neither contribute nor feel appreciated on par with their non-peer workers
- Insufficient opportunities for professional development, skill building, and advancement
How We Work
AHP approaches workforce development as the nexus of strategic systems alignment, organizational stability, and people development—so workforce strategies are cohesive, practical, and built to last.
Systems
Policy alignment, funding strategy, stakeholder partnerships, and data practices that support education, credentialing, fair wages, and long-term pipeline growth.
Organizations
Implementation support to strengthen retention and recruitment, supervision, culture, onboarding, and infrastructure—so teams can thrive and services remain stable.
People
Training, coaching, and professional development that builds knowledge and skills, supports career growth, and improves quality of care.
The Key: Data and Analysis
AHP’s Innovation Department and WIL uses a holistic data approach to understand workforce conditions and guide action, drawing on:
- Review of existing reports and system data
- Workforce supply, demand, and pipeline analysis
- Input from the workforce and key stakeholders
Data helps leaders move beyond assumptions to identify where workforce systems are most vulnerable, where investments will have the greatest impact, and how to support sustainable change over time.
AHP supports coordinated workforce initiatives by:
- Defining career pathways and strengthening pipelines
- Supporting integration, retention, and workplace well-being
- Aligning partners and strategies across short-, medium-, and long-term goals
Resources
Find services briefs, case studies, videos, and more that reflect our expert, data-driven strategies for improving social infrastructure and workforce development in rural, Tribal, and other communities!
Let’s talk about your workforce goals.
Reach out to Susan Lange at slange@ahpnet.com