Dewees Chosen for Statewide Peer Support Workgroup

NEWS RELEASE - August 12, 2026

Dewees Chosen for Statewide Peer Support Workgroup

Lexington, KY - Appalachian Regional Healthcare congratulates Tara Dewees on the honor of being selected to serve on a statewide peer support group. This group consists of only 5 individuals from across the state.

"It's an honor to be selected," Dewees said. "Peer Support is something I am very passionate about."

Dewees was appointed by the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to serve on the Professional Peer Support Group. The group is charged with developing recommendations for ways to strengthen and support peer support.

"Tara has been a trailblazer in her time at ARH," said Ashley Adkins, Interim Vice President of Behavioral Health. "She built our peer support program from the ground up. Her passion for helping others and her dedication to our patients have made a lasting difference, and we're incredibly proud to see her talents recognized on a statewide level."

Dewees began her career at ARH as the very first Peer Recovery Coach at Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center. Since then, she has furthered her career and is the Director of Behavioral Health Outreach and Recovery. Now she oversees Peer Recovery Coaches across all 14 hospitals in the healthcare system.

"Watching this program grow from a single peer position into a system that reaches thousands of individuals has been one of the greatest blessings of my career," Dewees said.

For many people who may not know much about peer support, Dewees explained it saying, "We share our experience, strength, hope and help guide others on their recovery journeys. Peer support is not just a service. It's a connection."

Her own path to this work came from something very personal.

"I was inspired to become a peer support because I know what it feels like to believe there is no way out," she said. "Recovery changed my life, and I wanted to dedicate myself to helping others discover that same hope."

Dewees says the best part of her job is watching people grow stronger.

"Seeing the light come in someone's eyes, seeing someone take their first step toward recovery, or reconnecting with family, seeking treatment, or simply saying 'I think I can do this,' reminds me why peer support matters," Dewees said.

Dewees believes peer support works because it comes from real understanding.

"Sometimes the first person someone trusts is a person who can honestly say, 'I have been there and recovery is possible," she said. "Our communities are strong, resilient and full of people who want hope and a second chance."

As part of the workgroup, Dewees will help shape the future of peer support across the state. The group will look at training, certification, and ways to make peer services stronger and easier to access.

She hopes her years of experience can help guide the next generation of peer support specialists.

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About Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) traces its roots back to 1955, when the United Mine Workers of America opened the Miners Memorial Hospital system - a network of 10 hospitals dedicated to providing care throughout the coalfields of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Seventy years later, ARH has grown into a 14-hospital not-for-profit health system that serves more than 500,000 residents of central Appalachia each year. ARH hospitals in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky, and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, ensure that residents, tucked away in even the most remote areas, can access the highest quality of care without traveling hours from home. ARH's hospitals, clinics, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores, retail pharmacies, and medical spas boast more than 6,700 employees with a network of more than 1,300 providers, making it the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.