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About Peer and Family Support

Peer and family support services are person-centered, strength-based, and recovery-oriented. Services provided assist individuals in achieving positive coping mechanisms for the stressors and barriers encountered during their path to wellness and recovery. Peer support services provide support for an individual’s self-guided recovery towards wellness, to include but are not limited to, the following areas:‌ 

  • Emotional
  • Financial
  • Social
  • Spiritual
  • Occupational
  • Physical
  • Intellectual
  • Environmental

Peer support services are delivered by Peer Supporters with lived experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges and recovery from these challenges. Additionally, Peer Supporters are trained to offer support and assistance to individuals in developing and maintaining a path to recovery, resiliency, and wellness. Services include self-disclosure by the Peer Supporter of lived experience in a manner that promotes hope and teaches individuals about paths to recovery and overcoming barriers. Services seek to foster connections to natural supports and community resources; and assist individuals in identifying existing strengths and skills and how to apply them. Services assist the individual to develop goals and plans for recovery, resiliency, and wellness through the maintenance of mutuality, trust building and education. Services are person-centered, providing the opportunity for self-reflection and the development of personalized solutions and recovery strategies.

Family support services are strength-based, individualized, person-centered, and growth-oriented supports. These can be provided to the parent/caregiver of a youth or young adult under the age of 21, hereafter to be referred to as individual, with a mental health, substance use or developmental challenge or co-occurring challenges. The services can also be provided to those who provide emotional or other support to an adult family member/loved one with mental health and/or substance use challenges. Services are expected to improve outcomes for the individual and increase the individual’s and family’s confidence and capacity to manage their own services and supports while promoting wellness and healthy relationships.

Family Support Partners provide education, modeling, active listening, and the disclosure of personal experiences. Through this process, parents/caregivers are empowered to use their voice to express their needs, strengths and preferences related to care.
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‌Click the links below to learn more about what it takes to become a Peer Recovery Specialist (PRS).

Peer Support and Barrier Crimes
Peer Recovery Specialist Certification ‌‌
The Ethics of Peer Support