Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses

SPECIAL ADVISORY: Instructions for TPAPN & EEP Participants during Disasters & Other Emergencies

Nurses are not immune to chemical dependency or mental illness. To encourage nurses to seek help, TPAPN was created as a non-punitive, confidential, and voluntary alternative to reporting RNs and LVNs to the Texas Board of Nursing.

The goals of the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) are to:

•	Identify nurses experiencing mental health, alcohol/drug problems that have been or are likely to be job impairing.
•	Assist these nurses in obtaining appropriate treatment
•	Monitor the nurse's return to the work force.
•	Educate employers and nursing colleagues about the negative effects of addiction/mental illness in the work place and the potential for rehabilitation and return to productive work.
•	Reach out: 1.800.288.5528 or 1.512.467.7027. The benefit of peer assistance is to offer support and advocacy and to have a rehabilitative emphasis rather than a disciplinary emphasis.

Mission of the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses

The Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) offers nurses life-renewing opportunities for recovery from chemical dependency and mental illness and integrates nurses back into the profession, thus protecting the public and promoting professional accountability.