Peer Support in Prison – Transforming Access to Care for People Who Are Incarcerated

Sherrie Gaudet LCSW, LADC has earned her MSW from Southern Connecticut State University in 2009, specializing in addiction, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Worcester State University. With over 23 years of experience, Sherrie has been aiding individuals grappling with substance use and mental health disorders in both residential and outpatient settings. Her approach is warm yet direct, emphasizing the crucial role of the therapeutic relationship in recovery from addiction and trauma. Sherrie views recovery as a comprehensive process that involves changing perspectives, fostering accountability, healing family relationships, nurturing emotional connections, practicing self-forgiveness, and leading a life of integrity. She is committed to connecting with, understanding, and supporting her clients throughout their journey. Over the past 12 years, Sherrie has dedicated herself to the Department of Correction, starting as a counselor and now leading as a Correctional Counselor Supervisor for the Addiction Treatment Unit. She currently oversees the Cybulski Community Reintegration Center, managing both the Addiction Treatment Unit and the modified Tier IV, known as the CHANGE Unit. Throughout her career, Sherrie has collaborated with various agencies to facilitate the reintegration of offenders, valuing the chance to connect them with resources that strengthen their re-entry efforts. Her partnerships with Yale, the Department of Correction’s Medication Assisted Treatment providers, Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and other providers, have been crucial. She has forged numerous relationships with Recovery Coaches and played a key role in the creation and execution of the Recovery Coach program within the Department of Correction. Additionally, Sherrie has been pivotal in establishing the Peer Support Specialists program for the offender population through CCAR.

Erica Rogers started her career working in Substance Use treatment programs in 2006 and was first Certified as an Addiction Counselor in 2008 with the Connecticut Certification Board. She has worked in Acute Care Detox units, Intensive Inpatient Substance Use Disorder programs, a variety of Outpatient SUD programs, in a long-term Halfway House program, and as a Clinician at a Methadone clinic. She began working for the Connecticut Department of Correction in 2015 as a Substance Abuse Counselor at Carl Robinson Correctional Institution for men in Enfield, Connecticut. In 2020, Erica transitioned to a newly created position within the DOC. As part of this position, Erica was responsible for the implementation of an overdose prevention program for both discharging inmates as well as family members. In 2022, Erica was promoted to Correctional Counselor Supervisor at Carl Robinson. The facility is a level 3 medium-security prison. It houses sentenced offenders and provides a great emphasis on programming and education. Erica supervises nine Substance Abuse Counselors, Opioid Treatment Program staff, a Peer Recovery specialist, as well as all substance use disorder programming at the facility. Carl Robinson Correctional Institute offers the offenders an opportunity to engage in a wide variety of Substance Use Disorder treatment options including a six-month inpatient program, outpatient programming, DUI, a program specific for offenders returned to custody for substance abuse-related parole violations, Aftercare, Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery peer support coaching services (CCAR), as well as a Medicated Assisted Treatment program to treat Opioid Use Disorder.

Laura Yanez is currently the Executive Director for NAMI Western Nevada and has been with NAMI for 17 years. She is the lead volunteer for the NAMI Western Nevada in Northern Nevada Correction Center in Carson City, Nevada.

Shannon Scully is the Director of Justice Policy & Initiatives at NAMI’s national office, where she provides strategic guidance and leadership on the organization’s work at the intersection of mental illness and the criminal justice system. She engages federal agencies and Congress to advance NAMI’s key priorities in the areas of justice reform and crisis response and supports leaders across the NAMI Alliance to advance reforms at the state and local level to reduce justice system impact in the lives of people with mental illness.

Prior to joining NAMI, Ms. Scully has worked on a variety of issues to address the impact of the criminal legal and carceral system in disproportionately impacted communities. She began her career advocating for victims of crime in the court system in Cook County, IL.

Originally from Minnesota, Ms. Scully lives in the greater DC area with her husband and toddler. She holds degrees from the College of St. Benedict and American University.