November 15, 2024
Where do Peer Supporters work?
Peer supporters work in many different environments, with jobs that focus on direct service, program management, advocacy, and more. For example, peer supporters in Texas provide direct services in:
- Criminal justice settings (jails, prisons, specialty courts, probation and parole, etc.) Community outreach programs (where peer supporters go into the communities where people live)
- Hospitals and Inpatient Treatment Centers (psychiatric hospitals, general medicine hospitals, substance use treatment centers, and Veterans Administration hospitals) Outpatient clinics (Federally Qualified Health Clinics, mental health clinics, substance use treatment clinics)
- Peer-run organizations (Consumer-Operated Service Providers, Recovery Community Organizations, and other groups that are run by peer supporters and/or people in recovery)
- Residential settings (domestic violence shelters, residential settings for people in substance use recovery, shelters or residential settings for people experiencing homelessness, etc.)
- Virtual settings (app-based services, teleconferencing, chat-based support, etc.) And many more!
Peer specialists also hold many different titles in the agencies where they work, including:
- Peer Specialist or Family Partner (Paid or Volunteer)
- Peer Specialist or Family Partner Supervisor
- Program Coordinator
- Program Manager
- Executive Director
- Legislative Advocate/Policy Fellow
- And more!
What do Peer Supporters do?
Peer supporters hold space for people to focus on what recovery and meaningful living look like to them. Recovery is “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” This definition shows us that recovery isn’t about a diagnosis or the last time we used a substance; instead, recovery is a multidimensional experience where we develop strengths in our health, home, purpose, and community.
Peer supporters promote exploration of these different dimensions of recovery, remaining diligent in holding space for other people to define what these dimensions look like to them (not telling others what they believe these dimensions should look like).
Peer Supporters also share about their own experience with recovery. By sharing openly and authentically about their lived experience and recovery, peer supporters offer living proof that recovery is not only a possibility, but a reality. Peer supporters are people who are grounded in their own recovery, and who can share what their lived experience has
brought to their personal and professional lives. For example, peer supporters can identify and share the beliefs, values, and supports that helped them in their recovery.
Peer supporters share from a place of authenticity, not hiding their experiences with setbacks or failure, but instead honoring those moments of adversity as integral parts of their stories and recovery experience. And peer supporters can share how self-care supports their recovery and professional life, recognizing self-care as a daily practice to foster and sustain wellness.
