Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat They DoCore CompetenciesWho They HelpBenefits and Challenges
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What They Do
Core Competencies
Who They Help
Benefits and Challenges
Peer support specialists are people with lived experience who have been through situations similar to those they support. They have been successful in recovery and have firsthand knowledge of the healing process.They can provide aid inaddiction, mental health conditions, medical conditions, and disabilities.
While a peer support specialist does not substitute or replace treatment with a healthcare provider when it is needed, they can provide a unique layer of support.
Read on to learn more about peer support specialists, who they help, and the benefits and challenges associated with peer work.
FatCamera / Getty Images
What Do Peer Support Specialists Do?
Recovery is a process that may include many types of support, including clinical treatment with a healthcare provider, social support, medication, peer support and self-help groups, and faith-based strategies.
Peer support specialists help with this process and provide other services, including reducing stigma, improving a person’s quality of life in recovery, and reducing the need for certain health services. For example, research shows that this layer of support can lower emergency room visits, reduce treatment readmission rates, and decrease hospital visits in people in recovery.
The role or work of a peer support specialist may include:
Peer support services are often successful in addition to other professional mental health or medical services.
Peer Support SettingsPeer support specialists work with people in various settings, including individually, in groups, face-to-face, through text or over the phone, and online.
Peer Support Settings
Peer support specialists work with people in various settings, including individually, in groups, face-to-face, through text or over the phone, and online.
Competencies of Peer Work
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies certain core competencies related to providing peer support. These skills serve as a guide to people providing peer support services to others.
The five competencies exist to ensure peer support work is:
Who Do Peer Support Specialists Help?
Peer work is becoming a more established part of mental health and substance use services. A review on peer support specialists showed that peer support could be effective with different populations and groups, including:
Benefits and Challenges of Peer Support Work
Though peer support work has its challenges, it can be enriching. People who receive support from peer workers report feeling understood, trusted, and respected.
Receiving peer support can also lead to better communication and relationships with healthcare providers, increased participation and consistency in treatment, and reduced need to utilize more intensive services.
Many peer support specialists experience satisfaction in their work. Factors that contribute to positive feelings about the work include:
Additionally, there is satisfaction in knowing they are helpful to others through sharing their journey.
Becoming a Peer Support Specialist
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Peer support workers can be an invaluable part of the recovery process. Using your own experience to help others on their path to healing can be gratifying and empowering work. Receiving support from others with shared experiences can remind you that you are not alone. It can also help you feel more confident and consistent as you seek to change your life.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Who are peer workers?.
Kaur M, Melville RH.Emergency department peer support specialist program.Psychiatric Services. 2021;72(2):230-230. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.72102
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Core competencies for peer workers in behavioral health services.
Miyamoto Y, Sono T.Lessons from peer support among individuals with mental health difficulties: a review of the literature.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2012;8:22-29. doi:10.2174/1745017901208010022
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
