Tips for Providing Peer Support

Peer support provides a unique way to help people struggling with daily life.
Peer support is a complementary approach to traditional counseling and ‘professional services.’
Peer support is different because the people providing the services (peers) are using their own personal experiences to help someone else. This makes peer support feel like a more natural type of support.
Peers are often experts in recovery and may have the greatest impact on veterans if they can introduce recovery and recovery goals early on. This may help Veterans become involved in treatments that they otherwise would not have.
Regular contact with peer mentors can provide structure and support for veterans who may not be involved in traditional in-person substance use/mental health counseling.
Peers can help introduce or link patients with counseling or other services that can further facilitate their personal recovery.
Peers may be able encourage greater treatment engagement by instilling hope, providing social support, recognizing changes, and acting as a role model.