On April 8, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced the Providing Empathetic and Effective Recovery (PEER) Support Act, a bipartisan bill designed to boost the peer support workforce and make it easier for people to access the mental health and substance use recovery services they need.

At its core, the PEER Support Act recognizes the essential role of peer support specialists—individuals who use their own lived experience with mental health conditions or substance use disorders to support others on their recovery journeys. These specialists offer more than just encouragement—they build relationships, help people navigate systems, share resources, and provide mentorship grounded in real-world understanding.

Despite growing evidence that peer support improves outcomes and reduces hospitalizations, many qualified individuals still face challenges entering or staying in the profession, especially due to outdated hiring practices or restrictions tied to past experiences with the justice system.

This bill would begin to change that by:

• Formally establishing the Office of Recovery within SAMHSA to lead training, education, and best practices for peer support
• Recommending clearer career pathways and stronger data collection to support the field
• Instructing federal agencies to review state-level certification barriers that may unnecessarily block qualified candidates
• Ensuring peer support specialists are formally recognized as a profession by updating federal job classification systems

At DBSA, we believe peer support is not just helpful—it’s transformative. This legislation would help ensure those who have walked the path of recovery can be recognized, supported, and empowered to help others do the same.