Peer Support Services
Assistance by Peers with Real Life Experience
Value of Peer Services
Recovery from mental health issues or substance use disorders can often be made better with support from someone who has similar experience. Peer support services in mental health involve support provided by individuals who have personal experience with mental health challenges. Peer Support Services aim to foster recovery and well-being by utilizing shared experiences and understanding.
Key Features
-
Shared Experience: Peer supporters have faced similar challenges, allowing them to relate and connect with those they support.
-
Emotional Support: Peers provide encouragement, empathy and understanding, helping individuals feel less alone in their struggles.
-
Skill Development: Peer supporters often share coping strategies and tools that have worked for them, helping others develop their own skills for managing mental health.
-
Advocacy: They can help individuals navigate mental health systems and advocate for their needs and rights.
-
Goal Setting: Peers assist individuals in setting personal recovery goals and support them in achieving those goals.
-
Education: They can provide information about mental health conditions and resources, helping individuals make informed choices.
By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer support workers help people to develop their own goals, create strategies for self-empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling lives for themselves. Overall, peer support services emphasize hope, empowerment and recovery, making them a valuable complement to traditional mental health treatment.