Chris Malalis
BA, CPRS, CRSP, CTSS, Rutgers UBHC (TRS)
Chris Malalis (she/her) is a person in recovery from substance use and mental health challenges for over 30 years. She is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS), Certified Recovery Support Practitioner (CRSP), and Certified Trauma Support Specialist (CTSS) with more than five years of experience in peer support. She holds a B.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a minor in Social Work from Seton Hall University and currently serves as a Senior Peer Recovery Specialist with the Telephone Recovery Support (TRS) program at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.
Upon discovering peer recovery support, Chris was ecstatic to realize she had found her calling. What she once considered challenging periods of her life—times she thought were too difficult to share—now serve as a powerful testament to her lived experience, which she uses to connect with and support others. Passionate about person-centered and trauma-informed approaches, Chris is especially committed to supporting individuals navigating co-occurring recovery. Her work is grounded in the belief that progress is always possible, curiosity is more powerful than judgment, and meaningful peer support requires practitioners to continue their own healing.
With a light-hearted spirit, genuine care, and a commitment to remaining teachable and compassionate, Chris brings both heart and skill to her role. It’s no secret that she loves being a peer. Those she works with would attest to the power of finally being seen and having the space to be their authentic selves. She strives to create connections that inspire hope, affirm resilience, and empower others to build lives of meaning and purpose in recovery. She is presenting for the first time and is thrilled to share her insights with her fellow peers.
This peer-led session centers the lived experience and voice of Chris, a Peer Support Specialist with Rutgers’ Telephone Recovery Support (TRS) program. Through personal storytelling and reflective dialogue, Chris explores how to offer meaningful support rooted in shared experience—while maintaining boundaries that protect one’s own recovery journey.
Drawing from her own transformation as a peer moving from a 12-step abstinence-only framework to embracing harm reduction and diverse recovery pathways, Chris candidly shares the internal shifts that allowed her to become a more compassionate, person-centered peer.
With a strong emphasis on peer values—like autonomy, dignity, and mutual respect—this session offers practical strategies grounded in real-world peer work, including:
Creating emotional safety using trauma-informed communication
Navigating the emotional drivers behind substance use with empathy
Meeting people where they are—without judgment or agenda
Applying motivational interviewing to support reflection over advice-giving
Lifting up strengths rather than offering solutions
Leveraging supervision and self-reflection to stay grounded and prevent burnout
Participants will walk away with concrete tools and language to support others while preserving their own identity and wellness. This session is a powerful reminder that peer support is not about leading someone else’s journey, but about walking beside them in solidarity, presence, and hope.
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11:00am - 12:00pm
MAC208
Workshop