In the last twenty or so years, a new profession has taken root, one that can ease some of the tremendous workloads of mental health professionals. I’m talking about peer support specialists and the wonderful work they are doing in many settings around the United States.
What are peer support specialists? What do they do? What are the credentials and training they must have? This article will delve into answering these questions and much more.
What are Peer Support Specialists?
There have long been people willing to give up parts of their lives to help those who are struggling. They spend inordinate amounts of time making sure that others do not feel alone or abandoned. Until recently, these positions were unpaid, although the workload was just as heavy as any other profession.
Now, in 2021, all but five states have established peer support specialist training programs that offer a certificate of completion and two of the five that do not have it are in the process of offering one.
Peer support specialists are people with lived experience with a mental health condition, such as substance use or depression, who have knowledge that cannot be taught in the professional training of doctors or nurses.
Some peer support specialists fulfill roles that include assisting their peers in reaching their goals for recovery and practicing new skills with them, plus monitoring their progress. Peer support specialists help their clients by modeling effective coping skills and helpful strategies that the specialist has used in their own life.
In 2007, the United States Department of Health and Human Services elevated peer support services to an evidence-based practice which made the services offered by peer support specialists payable by Medicare and Medicaid in all fifty states.
Comments (0)