What is Peer Support?

Peer support is a co-creative relationship between people who have personal lived experience with psychiatric diagnoses, mental health challenges, trauma, and extreme emotional distress. Certified peer support specialists (CPSSs) have experienced their own mental health recovery journey firsthand. We know what it’s like to live with mental health challenges, build hope, and work around the barriers that are often presented on a mental health recovery journey. CPSSs offer their peers active listening, validation, encouragement, hope, and understanding to support mental health recovery. Peer support is a powerful approach that is based on the belief that recovery is possible for everyone. Peer support focuses on strengths, empathy, and building trust. It helps reduce the isolation and stigma that many people receiving mental health services may be experiencing. CPSSs can be integral to a person’s recovery journey and the inclusion of peer support in the behavioral health system promotes recovery for all.