Peer support workers are people who have been successful in the recovery process and who help others experiencing similar situations. Through shared understanding, respect, and mutual empowerment, peer support workers help people become and stay engaged in the recovery process reducing the likelihood of relapse. Peer support services can effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday environment of those seeking a successful, sustained recovery process
Peer support workers engage in a wide range of activities. These include:
Advocating for people in recovery
Sharing resources and building skills
Building community and relationships
Leading recovery groups
Mentoring and setting goals
Providing services and/or training
Supervising other peer workers
Developing resources
Administering programs or agencies
Educating the public and policymakers
Peer support workers need to develop core competencies to provide services to specific groups who also share common experiences, such as family members. The shared experience of being in recovery from a mental health and/or substance use condition or being a family member is the foundation on which the peer recovery support relationship is built in the behavioral health arena.
