A peer specialist is a person with lived experience with trauma, mood, and/or substance conditions who is willing to disclose and is trained to provide support, help, and encouragement to others working toward greater wellness goals. Peer Specialists are also known as Recovery Coaches or Recovery Navigators.
At DBSA, we believe our Peer Course is appropriate for anyone looking to take their journey to the next level, first and foremost, using it to better care for themselves. We believe there is value in our course whether or not a person wishes to formally work as a volunteer or paid peer specialist. And we believe in the value of taking our course even if it may not be applicable to your state’s peer credentialing requirements. We strongly believe in the transformative learning experience of our course no matter how a person may or may not proceed into the formal peer workforce.
Why? Peer specialists are committed to helping others, working from a strengths-based perspective. Utilizing those with shared experiences in support roles can be empowering, and research continues to show that this approach is highly effective in:
- Supporting people to achieve wellness goals, be they small, medium, or large
- Reducing inpatient service use
- Reducing recurrent psychiatric hospitalizations for patients at risk of readmission
- Improving relationships with healthcare providers
- Helping people engage more fully in their care
- Helping people manage symptoms and achieve positive wellness outcomes
A Conversation About Peer Support and Peer Specialists
Listen and learn from Douglas Hulst, DBSA’s Senior Program Manager of Peer Specialist Workforce Development and State of Illinois credentialed peer specialist, as he discusses peer support and its benefits for those living with depression or bipolar disorder. Also, hear from Jennifer, a peer specialist, who talks about her journey to becoming trained, where she works, and how her role impacts and supports others.
Where do Peer Specialists work?
The rapidly growing peer workforce is integral to treatment teams in both public and private settings. Peer Specialists may serve in the Department of Veterans Health Affairs, integrated behavioral health centers, inpatient facilities, community-based mental health centers, and peer-run respite services. Most frequently, Peer Specialists work as both paid employees, and while others offer their services as volunteers.
Peer Specialists serve in a wide variety of roles, working with individuals and groups to:
- Create individual service plans based on recovery goals, setting steps to achieve those goals
- Introduce recovery tools that help with specific challenges
- Create personalized wellness plans
- Provide support for decision-making
- Organize and sustain self-help and educational groups for peers
- Offer a sounding board and a shoulder to lean on
What Qualifications Do Peer Specialists Need?
DBSA strives to provide as much simplicity and clarity as possible. Peer specialists exist in two areas: TRAINED and STATE CREDENTIALED. A trained peer specialist has taken a reputable form of peer specialist training from a credible training body. A state-credentialed peer specialist has taken training but has also decided to obtain their state’s peer credential. Each state, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, has unique requirements for obtaining its credential. If a person intends to move to another state, it is up to the individual to see how their peer credential will transfer, as it may or may not.
NOTE: It is up to the individual to understand what is needed in their state and if the DBSA Peer Course is applicable. This website can help: https://copelandcenter.com/doors-wellbeing/peer-specialist-database
How do I become a Peer Specialist?
First, consider becoming a peer specialist as an investment in yourself and your own learning. The DBSA Peer Specialist Course offers an opportunity to build on your lived experience, deepen your understanding of peer support, and develop skills you can carry with you throughout your life.
You may choose to take the course simply for your own personal growth. Or, you may discover an interest in volunteering or pursuing paid work as a peer specialist. Either way, the experience has value.
Upon completion, you will receive a certificate from DBSA, an organization with more than 20 years of experience in peer support training. If you decide to pursue a volunteer or paid peer specialist role, you may also consider obtaining your state’s peer specialist credential. Requirements vary by state, and DBSA’s course may or may not count toward those requirements.
Even if additional training is required, the knowledge and skills you gain through DBSA’s course can provide a meaningful foundation for continued learning and development.
We believe that lived experience is a valuable resource, that effective peer support makes a difference, and that well-trained peers have an important role to play in mental health care. The DBSA Peer Specialist Course is one way to begin exploring that role.
Are you interested in more info?
Learn the FAQs
Please reach out to Douglas Hulst with any questions about the DBSA Peer Specialist Course: dhulst@dbsalliance.org
