what is peer support?

Below is an excerpt from the Peer Support Services In BC: an overview Including BC’S Peer Support Standards of Practice document.

*Peer Support Services in BC: An Overview (Including B.C.’s Peer Support Standards of Practice) by Jenn Cusick is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

“Peer support is increasingly seen as a key to recovery for people living with mental health problems. A peer supporter is someone who has lived experience with mental illness or has cared for someone with a mental illness.

Drawing upon their own experiences, peer supporters spend time with people who have mental health problems to provide them with a unique kind of support.

Yet despite the evidence of the benefits, peer supporters and related programs have yet to receive the support, focus and attention they need to have a greater impact.”
-Mental Health Commission of Canada