Peer Respites
A peer respite is a short-term, voluntary, and non-clinical alternative to traditional psychiatric hospitalisation. It is a supportive and homelike environment where individuals experiencing mental health challenges can go to find respite, peer support, and a safe space for healing and recovery. Peer respites are typically staffed by individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges who understand and empathise with the struggles of those seeking support. Key Features of Peer Respites include:
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Peer Support: Peer respites are staffed by peer support workers who provide understanding, empathy, and non-judgmental support based on their lived experiences of mental health challenges.
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Non-Clinical Environment: Unlike psychiatric hospitals, peer respites offer a non-clinical, relaxed environment that promotes safety and community.
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Short-Term Stay: Peer respites usually offer short-term stays, ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks, providing individuals with an opportunity to de-escalate crises and gain coping strategies.
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Voluntary Admission: Admission to peer respites is entirely voluntary, and individuals can leave whenever they feel ready.
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Holistic Approach: Peer respites often adopt a holistic approach to mental health, addressing emotional, social, and practical needs.
Directory
A directory of peer respites is currently operational across several states in the United States, including California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin, providing an overview of these supportive services.
Cedar Home Crisis Respite is currently open five days per week. Cedar Home Peer Respite's mission is to create a local Peer Run resource to provide an alternative to out of county and involuntary placements that focuses upon recovery principles that guests find user friendly.
Cedar Home
Hacienda of Hope is a welcoming homelike environment that offers support, and tools for fostering wellness and managing crisis and recovery. Guests stay in a residential respite home that is run by peers with lived experience, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Guests have the opportunity to create individualized wellness and recovery action plans that are entered around the 8 Dimensions of Wellness and Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP).
Hacienda of Hope
The SHARE! Recovery Retreat
The SHARE! Recovery Retreat provides adults with up to two weeks of intensive recovery activities, including self-help support groups, independent living skills, conflict resolution and paths to achieving goals. Living together as a family in a home in a residential neighborhood, participants take responsibility for the program, meals, chores, budget and resolving issues as they come up. Stays range from one to 14 days. The people who work at the house are all people with lived experience of substance abuse, mental health disorders and more.
Sally's Place Peer Respite Home is the first and only of its kind in Alameda County. It is staffed by peers, in alignment with the objectives of the Pool of Consumer Champions (POCC) and the Alameda County Accelerated Peer Specialist Program (ACAPS).
Sally's Place Peer Respite
The Gloria House
The Gloria House is a 4 Bedroom residential peer respite home located in New Britain, CT. The house is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – by peers who identify as having direct lived experience with mental health, addiction and/ or trauma. The Gloria House offers voluntarily, short-term respite services as an alternative to traditional psychiatric stays.
Eva's Casita
This is a LGBTQ+ led peer respite (welcoming all communities 18+, centering those not usually centered) is the first in Central Florida, the only of its kind in Florida, and the first intentionally focused on underserved communities in the nation. This is a space to take a no-cost, non-clinical break for 1 to 6 nights with voluntary self-driven, group, or 1:1 opportunities to connect with others navigating big feels or life struggles.
Rhonda's House
Rhonda's House (Iowa's Only Peer-run Respite Center) provides a safe and welcoming environment for individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis and who voluntarily choose temporary respite services to restore well-being and the ability to manage their lives. Rhonda's House is an alternative to the more restrictive care of a locked psychiatric hospital facility.
Afiya
Afiya strives to provide a safe space in which each person can find the balance and support needed to turn what is so often referred to as a 'crisis' into a learning and growth opportunity. Afiya is located in a residential neighborhood in Northampton, Massachusetts and is central to a variety of community resources.
Karaya
Karaya offers rest and reflection for all people experiencing emotional distress. We support people through what is called 'crisis' to find healing. Karaya is a statewide Massachusetts-based initiative. Karaya Peer Respite has a team of Mobile Peer Respite Advocates that will offer support to you wherever you are in Massachusetts for up to 4 hours at a time multiple days a week.
Juniper
Juniper Peer-Run Respite offers rest and reflection for all people experiencing emotional distress. We support people through what is called 'crisis' to find healing. Juniper is a statewide Massachusetts-based initiative. Juniper has a team of Mobile Peer-Run Respite Advocates that will offer support to you wherever you are in Massachusetts for up to 4 hours at a time, multiple days a week.
La Paz
La Paz is a 4-bedroom, 2-bath home located in Dudley, MA that offers rest and reflection for people aged 18+ experiencing emotional distress. We support people through 'crisis' to find healing. Within our La Paz Peer-Run Respite home, we offer 24/7 peer support with a team of Peer Respite Advocates* who hold a brave space to assist you in navigating trauma and/or emotional distress.
Honu Home
Honu Home is a Peer-Operated Respite in Nebraska for people coming out of a state correctional facility or within 18 months after release or on parole or on state probation for a felony. All staff and volunteers are individuals who experience mental health, substance use and/or trauma issues; many of whom have been incarcerated themselves.
CSPNJ Wellness Respite Service
The Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey (CSPNJ) Wellness Respite Service (WRS) is a peer operated crisis diversion resource located in Middlesex and Passaic Counties.
Middlesex County Wellness Respite Services
Passaic County Wellness Respite Services
Essex County Wellness Respite Services
Eagles Nest Respite serves Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties. It is a short term (1-5 days) peer-run respite home operating in a capacity similar to a bed and breakfast. In most cases we can admit someone within an hour of the pre-registration phone call. Both respite homes can admit guests 24/7 and are open every day of the year.
Eagles Nest Respite House
Refreshing Waters Respite serves Erie County. It is a short term (1-5 days) peer-run respite home operating in a capacity similar to a bed and breakfast. In most cases we can admit someone within an hour of the pre-registration phone call. Both respite homes can admit guests 24/7 and are open every day of the year. Each respite is a place where people can reassess goals as they continue on their positive path in life. The respite staff are all highly trained peer companions and advocates.
Refreshing Waters Respite House
Riverdal Mental Health Crisis Respite Centre
Mosaic MH operates the Bronx Crisis Respite Center (CRC), which is part of a new, innovative citywide approach to helping adults who are experiencing psychiatric crisis. CRC NYC provides a "soft landing" as an entry point to the mental health system. The program comprises mobile crisis teams, Crisis Respite Centers (as a short-term alternative to hospitalization), and a Peer operated Support Line.
Rose House Respite
Rose Houses are 100% peer-operated short-term crisis respites that are open and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Rose Houses are trauma informed safe, empowering, self-determined learning communities that allow guests to work on their personal wellness, however they define it. In addition to being site based, Rose Houses reach out beyond their walls through 24 hour peer-operated warm lines and mobile peer services. Rose House services are designed to help individuals break the cycle of crisis and hospitalization and connect to natural supports in the community. The Rose House is a self-referral service where guests can access and register at each house 24 hours a day.
The Brooklyn Crisis Respite Center is a hospital diversion residence in Brooklyn for people ages 18-65 who are experiencing a first-episode (i.e. within approximately one year of onset of symptoms) of a mental health challenge. The Respite Center provides temporary residential care for up to two weeks in a safe and supportive home-like environment. The program helps to prevent chronicity of mental illness and offers an innovative alternative to traditional emergency room and inpatient care. Stay and participation in activities is voluntary.
Brooklyn Crisis Respite Centre
The Retreat at the Plaza is a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Respite house with two community kitchens and two community living rooms located in the Plaza Midwood community of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Retreat at the Plaza
Funded by the county mental health board, the Foundations program includes educational and support groups, trainings, and opportunities for volunteers to be part of the organization. People are referred to the program by their service provider and usually stay 3-7 days. Three respite bedrooms are available; guests in the respite choose what they need to do for their own support and recovery. Many people become volunteer peer workers after being released. Suicidal people are referred to a crisis center. This is a program that is 100% run by peers.
FOUNDATIONS: A Place for Education and Recovery
REFLECTIONS: Whole Life Recovery Community
Recovery Partnership opened the doors to Reflections in March, 2014 responding to the needs voiced within our local community. Reflections is for individuals who are experiencing distress and feel that they would benefit from connecting with others who have "been there". We provide short-term 24 hour peer-to-peer support within a home-like environment.
The Ferns Peer Respite
The Ferns Peer-Run Respite is a community resource Pottstown, Pennsylvania, that values the unique experience and healing process of each individual. The Ferns is a voluntary, short-term, 24/7 model that provides a welcoming environment for people experiencing distress in their lives that recognizes each individual as the expert on themself while also providing time, space, and connections that support their self-determination, healing, and growth. Peer Respite is a different and proven alternative to psychiatric hospitalization or crisis residential services.
The Path Home
The Path Home is a peer-operated house designed to assist fellow peers in diverting from psychiatric distress which may lead to hospitalization. The program is located in a home setting and is furnished for comfort. The house is equipped with a variety of traditional self-help and proactive tools to maintain wellness. Trained Peer Specialists are the key ingredient in helping others learn self-help tools.
Alyssum
Alyssum a peer operated non-medical holistic approach to mental wellness and recovery for Vermonters who are experiencing emotional crisis. This alternative to psychiatric hospitalization provides a safe, mutually supportive, non-judgmental, educational and self-empowering environment. Alyssum affords individuals the opportunity to engage in the principles of wellness, recovery and peer support and to emerge from crisis with wisdom and the personal responsibility skills for living well.
Iris Place
Iris Place a home-like, safe, and welcoming environment for people who want and need peer support in order to navigate or avoid a crisis related to mental health and/or substance abuse. The staff of Iris Place (all of whom have lived experience) are proud and excited to be able to offer this new alternative to hospitalization. Iris Place is located in Appleton, Wisconsin (northeast region) and is free to all Wisconsin adult residents.
The La Cross Lighthouse Peer Respite
The La Crosss Lighthouse Peer Respite is safe place to heal, no cost. It has access to hiking trails. One-to-one support will be made available with respect to each individual's process to heal. Everyone working at Lighthouse identifies as having lived experience with recovery.
Monarch House
Monarch House Peer Run Respite in Menomonie, WI, is a voluntary, non-medical, overnight program for people experiencing what is commonly referred to as crisis. Guests access peer run respite support through a self-referral process, which helps determine if an individual is a good fit for stay.
Peer-run respites represent one of the most quietly revolutionary developments in the mental health landscape. They are not simply an alternative service model—they are a redefinition of what care can look like when lived experience becomes the foundation rather than an afterthought.
At their core, peer-run respites are short-term, voluntary, home-like spaces where people experiencing distress, crisis, or disconnection can stay and be supported by others who have walked similar paths. Unlike traditional psychiatric wards, there is no clinical hierarchy, no coercion, and no assumption that the person is “ill” in a way that requires control. Instead, the environment is grounded in mutuality, respect, and shared understanding.
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