NJPN’s 9th Annual Peer Recovery Support Summit Inspires Connection and Community at Brookdale

On September 12, 2025, Brookdale Community College welcomed more than 400 Peer Recovery Support Specialists from across the state for an extraordinary day of learning, connection, and empowerment at the 9th Annual NJPN Peer Recovery Support Summit, “Advancing Recovery: Peer-Led, People-Centered.” The highly anticipated event, held in person on the Lincroft campus, brought together professionals and advocates committed to strengthening recovery communities through lived experience, collaboration, and compassion.

The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Brookdale President David M. Stout, Ph.D., who greeted attendees and reflected on the critical role peer support plays in building resilient communities. He emphasized Brookdale’s ongoing commitment to student wellness and recovery, highlighting the college’s work with community partners to create an environment where students feel supported, empowered, and connected throughout their journeys.

“Brookdale is proud to stand alongside the dedicated professionals and advocates who are transforming lives through peer recovery,” Dr. Stout said. “The work you do, meeting people where they are, honoring their lived experience, and walking beside them in solidarity, deeply aligns with our mission and our values.”

Dr. Stout also shared his appreciation for the summit in his weekly update to the Board of Trustees, underscoring the importance of events like this in fostering collaboration and advancing shared goals across education, wellness, and community care and acknowledging Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Dr. Anita Voogt’s work in bringing this summit to Brookdale.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in an inspiring lineup of keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and recovery-oriented activities designed to strengthen their practice and expand their impact.

The summit featured sessions that explored a wide range of critical topics, including diversity and equity in recovery, trauma-informed communication, motivational interviewing, and the evolving intersection of harm reduction and peer support. Chris Malalis, a Peer Support Specialist with Rutgers’ Telephone Recovery Support program, shared a powerful personal story that highlighted the importance of offering support rooted in shared experience while maintaining boundaries that sustain one’s own recovery.

Additional workshops focused on addressing co-occurring mental health challenges, exploring grief as a hidden element of recovery, and understanding how trauma, stigma, and systemic barriers impact marginalized communities. Attendees also gained new tools to support individuals involved in the sex trade, learned strategies for building inclusive peer-led programs, and examined how to integrate recovery support with harm reduction services.

The summit’s closing keynote, featuring Paolo del Vecchio, former director of SAMHSA’s Office of Recovery, and Kristen Harper, M.Ed., offered a powerful conversation on the history, present, and future of the peer support movement. Their dialogue challenged attendees to bridge divides, advocate for system-level change, and continue elevating lived experience as a cornerstone of recovery-oriented care.

By the end of the day, participants left with renewed energy, practical tools, and deeper connections, all grounded in the core peer values of autonomy, dignity, mutual respect, and hope.

The success of the NJPN Peer Recovery Support Summit underscored the essential role peer specialists play in building healthier, more compassionate communities. It also reaffirmed Brookdale’s dedication to advancing wellness, on campus and beyond, by partnering with organizations and leaders who share a vision of inclusive, person-centered recovery.