Peer Support Services
Peer support services are about sharing experiences, learning about the recovery process, achieving goals, and moving toward a healthy and more meaningful life in the community.
A Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) is someone who has worked on their own recovery from mental health challenges. They have maintained their recovery and taken special training. They are willing to share what they have learned to help others with recovery.
How to Get Peer Support Services
You can get peer support in your community. Each county in Pennsylvania has peer support services. CPS also work in many places like mental health centers, hospitals, emergency services, prisons, rehabilitation programs, and drop-in centers.
Certified Peer Specialists help you with:
- Making a personal recovery plan
- Setting goals to get well and stay well
- Getting around the system and advocating for you
- Finding resources in your own community
- Teaching you recovery skills
- Walking beside you and showing you how you can recover
- Using your power to get what you need
Research shows that people who get peer support services:
- Take more steps to care for their health
- Have more hope for recovery
- Are more active in their care
- Feel more empowered
- Use hospitals or emergency services less often
- Have better relationships with treatment providers
Read more about The Power of Peer Support and fact sheet.
For more information about getting peer specialist services, call us.