CASE STUDY
Strengthening the Substance Use Recovery Workforce: GPS Facilitator Training Makes a Key Difference
Since 2019, GPS Group Peer Support has proudly partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) to bring accessible, trauma-informed group support to the heart of the Commonwealth’s recovery services. What began as a shared vision has evolved into a statewide initiative—training more than 650 BSAS-affiliated providers, recovery coaches, and frontline professionals in GPS’s facilitation model.
At a time when communities are facing overlapping public health crises—including the ongoing opioid epidemic and widespread mental health challenges— Massachusetts Department of Public Health recognizes the urgent need for flexible, evidence-based support systems rooted in compassion and peer connection. Together, GPS and BSAS have worked to strengthen the capacity of recovery workers to lead impactful, inclusive groups that center dignity, healing, and human connection.
This partnership continues to expand the reach of GPS Support Groups, ensuring people navigating recovery across diverse communities—urban, rural, and culturally specific—can access safe, empowering spaces to be heard and supported.
Challenges
While peer-led groups were already a foundational part of the recovery provider landscape, many facilitators entered these roles without formal training in group dynamics, trauma-informed care, or culturally responsive facilitation. This lack of structured preparation created a significant gap in both the consistency and effectiveness of group experiences across the state.
In fact, 63% of GPS training participants reported they had never received any formal group facilitation training, despite the fact that 70% were already leading support groups. Facilitators often relied on instinct, personal experience, or trial-and-error—putting immense pressure on individuals and leaving groups vulnerable to uneven delivery and limited impact.
The challenge wasn’t a lack of commitment or passion—it was a lack of access to tools, models, and frameworks that could help facilitators lead with confidence, clarity, and compassion. Without standardized training, providers lacked a shared language for navigating group dynamics, addressing trauma responses, or adapting their approach for a range of different communities. This made it harder to build trust, hold space for difficult emotions, and ensure that peer support groups were truly healing environments.
Experience
Participating in the GPS Facilitator Training is more than just professional development—it is a transformational experience for many participants. The training offers a rare blend of structure, heart, and healing—grounded in a trauma-informed model that prioritizes connection, cultural humility, and emotional safety. Through interactive sessions, live facilitation practice, and small-group connection, participants didn’t just learn about facilitation—they experienced it.
In training provided from 2019-2025, BSAS participants have consistently described the GPS team as welcoming, compassionate, and highly skilled. The facilitators modeled the very principles they taught: active listening, affirmation of lived experience, and respect for all identities. This made the virtual training space feel remarkably personal, grounded, and welcoming.
Beyond the emotional impact, participants also emphasized the practicality of the training. They left with real-world tools they could apply immediately—like how to open and close a group, set boundaries as a facilitator, hold space for grief or trauma disclosures, and invite reflection without judgment. The training provides a replicable structure that participants said increased their confidence, clarity, and presence in the groups they already led.
Many participants reported that the experience renewed their sense of purpose and reignited their commitment to supporting others in recovery—not just as service providers, but as trusted peer leaders, advocates, and community builders.
Impact & Transformation
GPS training led to significant increases in facilitator confidence, competence, and readiness to lead support groups effectively. To assess the impact of the training, pre- and post-training surveys were conducted. These anonymous surveys measured participants’ confidence in their group facilitation skills before and after the training, as well as their overall experience with the program.
Post-training survey results of a GPS training for BSAS participants showed:
- 86% increase in confidence leading mindfulness exercises
- 88% increase in confidence levels when it comes to understanding GPS’s approach to helping people in recovery adopt new skills through expression of emotion.
- 92% felt the training created a welcoming space
- 100% of participants said they would recommend the training to colleagues
The training not only enhanced professional skills but also empowered participants to bring a deeper level of empathy, structure, and trauma sensitivity into their group settings.
The results of the training also highlight the importance of continued professional development in the field of group facilitation. The overwhelming interest in further GPS training, with 66% of participants expressing a desire to become certified, suggests a strong commitment to applying the GPS model across Massachusetts. As more facilitators are trained, the quality of care and support provided to individuals in recovery will continue to improve, fostering healthier and more resilient communities.
