A new kind of mental health service is available in Wake County, and it offers a voluntary alternative to hospitalization for people experiencing mental distress. It’s called a peer-run respite house; it’s the first of its kind in the Triangle area and only the third to open in North Carolina. It’s designed to provide a peaceful, home-like setting where people who are experiencing behavioral health issues can stay for up to 10 nights and receive support from trained peer support specialists who are on their own mental health recovery journeys.