Peer Resources
Peer Support - People lending a helping hand to others through shared experiences
What is Peer Support?
Peer support specialists are people who have been successful in the recovery process 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 and reduce 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.
Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) is enriched by the lived experiences of people in recovery, who play key roles in BRSS TACS project leadership, development, and implementation.
- Learn about the foundational core competencies for peer workers in behavioral health services.
- Access a list of frequently asked questions about core competencies for peer workers.
- Learn more about the process of recovery.
Peer Support Role
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
Peer support roles may also extend to the following:
- Providing services and/or training
- Supervising other peer workers
- Developing resources
- Administering programs or agencies
- Educating the public and policymakers
Peer support workers may need to develop additional 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.
Peer Support Resources
Please click the following buttons to find provide a wealth of resources to learn more about the role that peers play in recovery. Please read the SAMHSA.gov Exit Disclaimer for more information on resources from non-federal websites.
