As an evening Peer Supporter integrated at Parma UH, Stephen Sidoti often works during hours when many treatment resources, including intensive outpatient programs, are less accessible. This can create additional barriers for peers who are ready to seek help.
When Stephen first met the peer, the individual had been referred to him by hospital staff after expressing interest in treatment. For Stephen, these conversations always begin with connection.
Rather than immediately focusing on finding a treatment facility, Stephen first shares his own recovery story. By making himself vulnerable, he creates an environment where the peer can feel more comfortable opening up about their own experiences. He then asks what brought the person to the hospital and takes time to understand who they are, their history, and what they hope to accomplish.
Stephen believes that people respond differently when they feel that someone is genuinely interested in them rather than simply trying to move them from the hospital into a treatment program.
That approach quickly helped establish trust with this peer.
During their second conversation, the peer was more open to discussing inpatient treatment. Stephen began researching options and contacting treatment facilities that could meet the peer’s needs. Finding an appropriate placement, however, was not simple.
As Stephen got closer to identifying a facility that met the peer’s requirements, the peer began changing what they were looking for. Each new concern created another potential barrier to treatment, requiring Stephen to continue searching, making phone calls, and providing additional resources.
Eventually, the peer agreed to enter treatment at The Bluffs, but under the condition that the peer would be able to return home first to pack a bag before going to treatment.
For Stephen, that immediately raised concerns. Based on his experience, he recognized that returning home could significantly increase the likelihood that the peer would change their mind, return to old behaviors, or relapse before reaching treatment.
Instead of simply accepting the decision, Stephen addressed his concerns directly.
He asked the peer whether they would be willing to sign a release of information so that he could contact a family member if the treatment facility could not reach them the following morning or if transportation to the facility fell through.
The conversation was uncomfortable. The peer became initially irritated by Stephen’s persistence. From the peer’s perspective, Stephen’s continued questions may have felt like another obstacle standing between them and the decision they had already made.
But Stephen was not trying to control the situation. He was trying to create a safety net. He understood that agreeing to treatment was only one part of the process. Following through was another. Ultimately, the peer understood and agreed to sign the release.
Stephen never had to use it.
The following day, his contact at The Bluffs informed him that the peer had arrived at the treatment facility. Later, Stephen learned that the peer had remained in treatment through the completion of the program.
For Stephen, the outcome was especially meaningful because of how easily the situation could have gone another direction.
The peer had significant resources, stable employment, and private insurance. On the surface, they had access to many advantages that could have made it easier to delay treatment or maintain their existing lifestyle. Yet those resources did not eliminate the challenges that had brought the peer to the hospital.
Stephen recognized that sometimes having more options can actually make it easier to postpone making a difficult change.
The peer ultimately made the decision to move forward.
Because Stephen works in a hospital setting, he does not always get to see what happens after a peer leaves. Often, the only indication that someone followed through is that they simply do not return to the hospital. There is rarely an opportunity to witness the milestones that happen afterward.
In this case, Stephen was fortunate to receive confirmation from his contact at The Bluffs that the peer was doing well and had completed the program.
He has not seen the peer since.
Stephen does not know exactly what the future will hold for them. He does not assume that completing treatment means the peer will never face another challenge or experience another setback. Instead, he views recovery as an ongoing process filled with both progress and difficult moments.
To Stephen, recovery is a lot like life itself. There is always something new to learn, something to work through, and another opportunity for growth. Progress does not mean reaching a point where everything becomes easy. It means continuing to move forward even when the path includes setbacks.
He describes recovery as a series of peaks and valleys that ultimately trend upward.
That perspective shaped the way Stephen supported this peer. He did not measure success by whether the peer immediately had everything figured out. Instead, he focused on helping them take the next step-and then making sure they had the support necessary to follow through.
Sometimes peer support means providing resources. Sometimes it means listening. And sometimes, it means respectfully pushing back when someone is standing at a crossroads and the easier choice could put their recovery at risk.
For this peer, Stephen’s persistence helped create a bridge between the desire to seek treatment and actually arriving at the treatment facility.
While Stephen may never know every detail of what happened after that point, he knows the peer made it through the doors and completed the program.
And sometimes, that next step is exactly where recovery begins.
