The Importance of Peer Support in Mental Health
United And Guided (UAG) is at the forefront of expanding peer support services across California, empowering individuals through CalAIM initiatives and key partnerships with Anthem, Kaiser, and Independent Living Systems. As a certified provider of Mental Health Peer Support, UAG offers comprehensive, person-centered programs designed to enhance whole-person care and improve community outcomes.
Peer support is a proven, evidence-based practice recognized by SAMHSA that improves recovery outcomes, strengthens social connections, and reduces hospitalizations. UAG provides certified Medi-Cal Peer Support training, enabling individuals with lived experience to guide others in overcoming mental health and substance use challenges. Through our collaboration with CalMHSA, we offer structured education, certification, and workforce opportunities to Medi-Cal members interested in careers in peer support.
How United And Guided Supports Justice-Involved Individuals and Youth Development
UAG’s peer support services extend to justice-involved individuals and underserved youth, integrating peer-led interventions into day habilitation and workforce development programs. By leveraging partnerships with Independent Living Systems, UAG ensures that those transitioning from incarceration receive trauma-informed, holistic care.
Our programs go beyond traditional rehabilitation models, focusing on education, skills training, and mentorship to break cycles of incarceration and poverty. We provide individualized career development plans, resume-building workshops, interview preparation, and job placement services to help justice-involved individuals and youth develop sustainable employment opportunities.
UAG’s fatherhood mentorship initiative plays a crucial role in supporting formerly incarcerated fathers in rebuilding relationships with their families, fostering positive parenting practices, and providing emotional support to prevent recidivism. This program helps fathers navigate co-parenting, child development, and economic stability while also addressing mental health and substance use challenges.
Additionally, our peer-led intervention strategies incorporate restorative justice practices, community service engagement, and trauma-informed care, ensuring a supportive and empowering reentry process. By addressing social determinants of health, such as housing stability, employment access, and mental health support, UAG fosters long-term success for justice-involved individuals and marginalized youth.
Advancing Maternal Health Through Doula Care
UAG is also a certified Medi-Cal Doula Service Provider, addressing racial disparities in maternal health through culturally competent, co-ed doula services. Our unique approach supports both mothers and fathers throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, fostering stronger family bonds and birth equity. We collaborate with California’s Perinatal Equity Initiative to ensure that vulnerable families receive critical maternal and newborn care services.
In addition to traditional doula services, UAG provides educational workshops to equip parents with essential knowledge about childbirth, newborn care, and breastfeeding. Fathers are encouraged to take an active role in the birthing process, reinforcing our belief that family-centered care leads to better maternal and infant health outcomes.
Our doulas offer home visits, virtual consultations, and postpartum wellness checks, ensuring continued care beyond childbirth. UAG also works with community partners to address social determinants of health, such as access to prenatal care, housing stability, and nutritional support, creating a more holistic approach to maternal wellness.
By integrating peer support, fatherhood mentorship, and trauma-informed care, UAG is transforming the landscape of maternal health equity, empowering families to thrive in a supportive, culturally responsive environment.
Bridging Whole-Person Care and Community-Based Support
Our whole-person care approach integrates peer support, doula care, mental health recovery, and workforce development, ensuring comprehensive services for Medi-Cal members. With expanded contracts with HealthNet, Anthem, and Kaiser, we are positioned to provide vital community supports and connect individuals to life-changing resources.
United And Guided continues to grow its impact by advocating for policy changes, expanding access to CalAIM programs, and increasing capacity for culturally responsive peer-led interventions. Through community outreach, justice involvement, and specialized mental health services, we are setting a new standard for sustainable, person-centered care in California.