A peer specialist is someone who has “lived experience” and who is trained to support others who are navigating their mental health, substance abuse, or psychological trauma. Their personal experience of these challenges provide peer specialists with expertise that professional training cannot replicate.

Outcomes of peer support*

  • Decrease in hospitalization rates & in-patient services

    Peer support works because peers can meet with individuals before their mental health reaches a crisis point. Clinical care usually begins when an individual is in crisis whereas peer support can be available to support someone at any point in their mental health journey. When you have a consistent through line of support, you can mitigate crisis situations, thus decreasing the need for hospitalization and in-patient services.

  • Decrease in self-stigma & increase in empowerment and hope

    When you speak to someone who has been through what you have been through, there is a sense of connection and a feeling of being ‘seen’ that traditional therapy just cannot replicate. When individuals work with peers, studies have found that an individual's self-worth and ability to believe in their own healing and recovery increases drastically.

  • Peer-support reaches more individuals than the clinical health system

    Love of T provides a free non-clinical crisis alternative through peer support. This means that we can reach and support individuals who are wary of the clinical health system, those who do not have insurance and those who do not have the finances for traditional clinical support.

Peer Support Core Competencies

RECOVERY-ORIENTED

Peer support specialists hold out hope to those they serve, partnering with them to envision and achieve a meaningful and purposeful life.

Peer support specialists help those they serve identify and build on strengths and empower them to choose for themselves, recognizing that there are multiple pathways to recovery/healing.

RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED

The relationship between the peer support specialists and the peer is the foundation on which peer recovery support services and support are provided. The relationship between the peer support specialists and peer is respectful, trusting, empathetic, collaborative, and mutual.

PERSON-CENTERED

Peer support specialists services are always directed by the person participating in services.

Peer support is personalized to align with the specific hopes, goals, and preferences of the individual served and to respond to specific needs the individuals has identified to the peer support specialist.

TRAUMA-INFORMED

Peer support specialists utilizes a strengths-based framework that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety and creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.

VOLUNTARY

Peer support specialists are partners or consultants to those they serve. They do not dictate the types of services provided or the elements of recovery plans that will guide their work with peers. Participation in peer support services is always contingent on peer choice.

 FAQs About Peer Support

  • Here are some ways peer support specialists can help you:


    Engages peers in collaborative and caring relationship

    Provides support: validating experiences and feelings; explores meaningful community roles and conveys hope of recovery

    Shares the lived experience of wellness and recovery in a connecting and relatable way

    Personalize peer support recognizing multiple paths to wellness, respecting each other's unique strengths, interests and culture perspectives.

    Supports recovery planning proposing strategies, offering support, information and resources for an individual to achieve their own desired tasks and goals

    Links to resources, services and supports when desired by an individual

    Provides information about skills related to health, wellness and recovery based on an individual's interest and goals

    Supports people define, identify and manage crises

    Values respectful, person-centered and mutually supportive communication

  • Peer support specialists are not clinical in any way. We do not provide treatment plans or diagnose any individual who comes in for support.

    As peer support specialists, we look to you to tell us how you would like support navigating your mental health journey. We take our cues from you because we believe that you are capable of determining the type of care that works for you.

  • Free! All of our programming is free thanks to our supporters. You also do not need health insurance to be in community with your peers.

  • All Love of T peer support specialists go through a rigorous training program through the Kiva Centers and are certified by the state of Massachusetts.