Category I: Recovery-Oriented Support
1. Understands the Peer Specialist Role – Supervisor fully comprehends the peer
specialist role and duties through peer-specific supervision training and their
lived/professional experience.
2. Advocates for Peer Specialist Services – Supervisor advocates for and promotes peer
support services within the organization and in the greater healthcare system.
Supervisor serves as a CHAMPION for peer support services and ensures that the
impact of peer support is reflected in any data interpretation.
3. Promotes Recovery Orientation – Supervisor understands and supports the philosophy
of recovery management and recovery-oriented systems of care (ROSC), including, but not limited to: hope, self-disclosure, mutuality, person-first language, self-determination, empowerment, many pathways and styles of recovery, fostering independence, utilizes strength-based approach, addressing stigma, client choice, and advocacy.
4. Models Principles of Recovery – Supervisor models recovery philosophy and
incorporates those tenets in all peer specialist occupational roles and duties,
supervisory experience, and the orientation of the greater organization.
5. Supports Meaningful Roles – Supervisor supports meaningful peer support roles,
including outreach and engagement, empathetic support, instilling hope, client
advocacy, and system navigation. Supervisor advocates to maintain those meaningful
roles and discourages the use of peer specialists in other roles that diminish the value
of their work or create ambiguity in their occupational roles, or are beyond the
boundaries of one’s education, training, and experience. Supervisor embraces the
value of lived experience and appropriately utilizes peer specialists based on their lived
experience (e.g., substance use, criminal justice, mental health, and family support).
Supervisor avoids role ambiguity by avoiding the administrative convenience of viewing
all peer specialists as “generalists.” Supervisor supports peer specialization based on
lived experience (e.g., Recovery Support Peer Specialists, Reentry Peer Specialists,
Mental Health Peer Specialists, and Family Partners).
6. Recognizes the Importance of Addressing Trauma – Supervisor understands trauma, its
impact on individuals, and the role of Trauma-Informed Care. Supervisor incorporates
that understanding into their supervision practices, peer support programming, and the
organization in which they work.
Category II: Education & Training
7. Supports Ongoing Training – Supervisor acknowledges that requisite entry-level
education is modest and that their role includes ongoing training & education, including
coaching/mentoring peer specialists regarding competencies, skills development,
documentation, data collection systems, ethical standards, professional boundaries,
community resources, applicable laws, and client rights.
8. Assists with Professional System Navigation – Supervisor assists peer support staff in
understanding the greater behavioral health system and its relationship to health care,
allied providers, courts, child welfare, and social service programs. Supervisor assists
peer specialist staff in understanding the etiquette, procedures, and legal obligations
of working with community partners (Courts, Child Welfare, TANF, WIC, SNAP,
Probation/Parole, Addiction Treatment, and Psychiatric Institutions.)
9. Guides Adherence to Applicable Laws & Regulations – Supervisor is aware of all
relevant laws and can advise peers regarding the application of those laws in their peer
support work (CFR 42 p.II, HIPAA, Mandatory Reporting, ADA, Civil Rights, Fair Housing,
Medicaid Fraud).
10. Facilitates Access to Community Resources – Supervisor facilitates finding and sharing
community resource information and their guidelines through organizational
directories, websites, and other research methods.
11.Provides Role Clarity and Fidelity – Supervisor provides role clarity for peer specialists
through accurate job descriptions based on the peer support scope of practice and the
written articulation of duties, utilizing supervision time to identify, discuss, and process
situations where there is role ambiguity or role confusion.
12.Practices Strength-Based, Person-Centered Supervision – Supervisor exercises
strength-based person-centered approach to supervision. Supervisor has the capacity
to give and receive feedback, engendering mutuality and trust. Supervisor creates a
safe atmosphere for all staff to give and receive feedback, facilitate self-reflection, and
the experience of professional growth. Supervisor utilizes a strength-based approach
and can consistently give recognition and praise for competency development and
successful outputs/outcomes with clients.
13.Cultivates Peer Competencies – Supervisor can identify peer specialist competencies
such as active listening, supporting self-efficacy, and other skills. Supervisor monitors
the fidelity of those competencies and can give feedback to individual peer specialists
regarding their efficacy, and creating work plans as indicated.
14. Facilitates Occupational Self-Care/Confidentiality – Supervisor maintains appropriate
confidentiality of supervision relationship and recognizes their obligations to support
peer support staff in occupational self-care while maintaining professional boundaries
and avoiding acting as therapist, diagnostician, or sponsor.
15.Guides Navigation of Ethics & Boundaries – Supervisor is aware of ethical standards for
peer specialists and boundary issues common with peer specific roles. Supervisor
understands the Texas Peer Specialist Code of Ethics and supports peer specialists in
navigating complex relationships and ethical dilemmas that can arise.
16.Provides Comprehensive Supervision – Supervisor maintains the integrity of peer
specialist supervision and balances administrative/clerical supervision versus quality
peer services supervision, resisting “administrative compliance” being the primary
function of peer support supervision.
17.Provides Adequate Accessibility – Supervisor is accessible, maintaining regular
supervision appointments and providing consistent availability for consultation.
Supervisor practices good time management and demonstrates respect for the
importance of supervision by keeping supervision appointments and being present and
accessible to peer specialists.
Category III: Performing Administrative Duties
18.Promotes Staff Development – Supervisor affords opportunities for participation and
training to all staff, including peer support staff. Supervisor promotes professional
development and advancement through a career ladder. Supervisor develops written
professional development plans with peer support staff.
19. Facilitates Occupational Safety – Supervisor knows the places people provide services
and equips them and supports them in navigating those settings safely. Supervisor
elicits input from peer specialists regarding occupational safety in communities where
clients reside. Supervisor and peer specialists jointly define safety risk and recognize
stigma as it applies to communities and individuals served. Supervisors will educate
peer specialists on typical high-risk situations and how to address those situations.
20.Employs Equitable Employment Practices – As the peer support and recovery
champion, the peer specialist supervisor influences hiring practices and facilitates the
hiring process and includes existing peer support staff in the hiring process for all direct
care positions. Supervisor has awareness of the ADA, and in providing reasonable
accommodations to peer staff as required by law. Supervisor is aware of generally
accepted HR practices and applicable laws regarding applicant questioning and
interviewing, compensation and benefits, grievances, employee rights, whistleblower
policies, and mandatory trainings, such as Medicaid, Fraud Waste Abuse, Civil Rights,
Safety Regulations, and others.
These core competencies for peer specialist supervisors were developed for the training
and direction of peer specialist supervisors in Texas. The competencies were derived from
Substance Use Disorder Peer Supervision Competencies (Martin, et al., 2017) and adapted
for peer specialists in diverse disciplines.
A workgroup of subject matter experts (SME) was convened by the Health and Human
Services Commission of Texas comprised of individuals with extensive occupational
experience in the supervision of peer specialists. These SMEs came from a variety of
disciplines in the field to ensure broad applicability of principles.
Notes (Don’t add in wiki):
