Santé is proud to share that the St. Mary’s County Health Department has selected our organization to open a new Peer-run Wellness & Recovery Center, awarded through a competitive RFP process. This expansion represents another major milestone in our commitment to building strong, community-centered behavioral health supports across Maryland and North Carolina.
This announcement follows closely behind the opening of our newest Wellness & Recovery Center in Germantown, Maryland. A space that has already become a place of connection, grounding, and hope for individuals seeking community-based support. The momentum from Germantown’s opening has further affirmed what we have always believed: peer-led wellness works, and communities thrive when people are supported not only in crisis, but in the everyday work of healing.
Santé is preparing to bring that same model of connection, dignity, and lived-experience with the new St. Mary location.
Peer-Run, Person-Focused
What sets these Wellness & Recovery Centers apart is the heart of the model: peers. Every center is fully peer-run, staffed by Certified Peer Recovery Specialists. These are individuals who have lived through their own mental health or substance use challenges and now use their experience to guide others.
Peer support is more than a service. It is a connection and a reminder that recovery is not something people have to do in isolation. It’s a way of saying, “Someone who gets it is here with you.”
When people walk into a peer-run center, they’re met with individuals who understand what it feels like to struggle, to ask for help, and to rebuild. They know what it’s like to try again after a setback. They’ve sat in waiting rooms unsure of what comes next. They’ve wrestled with stigma, doubt, and the quiet feeling of being alone in a crowd.
And because of that, they offer something powerful: hope that is honest, practical, and rooted in lived experience.
Why This Matters for St. Mary’s County
Winning this contract is much more than an expansion. It is a deepening of our commitment to the community. It is a recognition of the trust built over years of responding in some of people’s hardest moments.
The new Wellness & Recovery Center will offer programming that supports whole-person wellness, including:
- peer-led support groups
- skill-building workshops
- educational and employment support
- creative arts and wellness activities
- community connection events
- safe spaces for people simply needing time, grounding, and understanding
These centers are intentionally relaxed and approachable. They are not clinical settings. They are places where someone can come in for a cup of coffee, stay for a conversation, or connect with peers who can help them navigate resources. Places where people can rediscover confidence, build routines, and find support without fear of judgment.
For many, they become a lifeline, something steady to hold onto during the quieter, less visible parts of recovery.
Building Systems That Care
At Santé, we often say that healing doesn’t happen only in moments of crisis. It happens in the days and weeks after, when people need support that is consistent, human, and accessible. This center will help fill that gap.
We are grateful to the St. Mary’s County Health Department for their trust and partnership. Their decision to bring a peer-run center to the community demonstrates a strong commitment to expanding behavioral health support in ways that are both innovative and deeply personal.
Looking Ahead
As Santé continues to grow across Maryland and North Carolina, our mission remains steady: build systems that care, by centering dignity, connection, and lived experience.
The new Wellness & Recovery Center in St. Mary’s County is another step toward that mission. We are honored to bring this resource to the community and will continue to share updates as planning progresses.
For now, we simply want to say thank you to St. Mary’s County, to our partners, to our staff, and most importantly, to the individuals who trust us to walk alongside them in their healing.