Jonathan P. Edwards

Dr. Jonathan P. Edwards is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Yale University School of Medicine's Program for Recovery and Community Health, and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work. He serves as a Program Consultant at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, overseeing substance use treatment programs. With over 30 years of personal recovery experience and professional expertise in peer support, he contributes to national standards for peer specialist certification and recovery research agendas.

Education: PhD and MPhil in Social Welfare (CUNY Graduate Center), MSW (Hunter College), BA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (City College of CUNY).

Research Focus: Peer support workforce development, supervision practices, substance use recovery systems, and health equity in marginalized communities. His work emphasizes participatory action research and policy advocacy, particularly addressing racial inequities in mental health and addiction services.

Professional Contributions: Board member of Friends of Recovery-NY, NY Peer Specialist Certification Board, and Behavioral Health News. Active in national initiatives like the National Association of Peer Specialists. Authored/co-authored peer-reviewed research and the book What It Takes: Wisdom from Peer Support Specialists and Supervisors.

Advocacy & Leadership: Spearheaded NYC’s largest peer support workforce in hospitals, developed national practice guidelines for peer specialists, and presented globally on topics like racial equity in healthcare and supervision strategies.