Learn about Peer Specialists
|
|
"Becoming a Peer Specialist turns what I've been through as a result of mental illness into something positive, powerful and useful."
--Michele, Certified Peer Specialist |
What's a Peer Specialist?
A Peer Specialist is a person recovering from mental illness who has been trained and certified to help their peers gain hope and move forward in their own recovery. The Peer Specialist:
- cultivates their peer’s ability to make informed, independent choices
- helps their peer identify and build on their strengths
- assists their peer in gaining information and support from the community to make their goals a reality
As a person who has traveled a similar path, the Peer Specialist provides hope and role models the possibility of recovery to every person they serve.
Peer Specialists go by different names in different settings---for example, Peer Recovery Specialist, Peer Support Specialist and Peer Mentor---but they have a common commitment to assisting their peers based on their shared experience.
What do Peer Specialists do?
Peer Specialists work with their peers both individually and in small groups. They:
-
Help others create individual service plans based on recovery goals and steps to achieve those goals -
Use recovery-oriented tools to help their peers address challenges -
Assist others to build their own self-directed recovery tools -
Support peers in their decision-making -
Set up and sustain self-help groups -
Offer a sounding board and a shoulder to lean on -
...and more!
Where do Peer Specialists work?
Peer Specialists generally offer services as a supplement to professional care. They work everywhere people are dealing with mental illnesses; for example:
Most frequently, Peer Specialists work as paid employees, while others choose to offer their services as volunteers.
page created: May 9, 2006 |
page updated: January 4, 2008 | |