The Unique Privilege of Being a Peer Support Specialist

The Unique Privilege of Being a Peer Support Specialist

Healthcare workers rate their work as having a high degree of personal meaning.  This is one of the rewards of working in this field…. Your daily effort leads to the health and reduced suffering of others.  That is usually not considered part of the compensation, but many people find it to be the greatest reward of their jobs.

Peer Support Specialists have this same advantage but at an even greater level.  Their role puts them in a position to also reduce suffering.  As natural advocates for their clients, they have a wonderful role of watching out for the vulnerable, and speaking truth to healthcare systems to ensure they are genuinely serving the client and living up to their ideals. 

 This is a wonderful role – and again… part of the compensation for doing the work.  There is a key difference from the clinician role.  Unlike clinicians, Peer Support Specialists are required to have personal experience with the clinical problem and the recovery from that clinical problem.  As most Peer Support Specialists are working in the mental health field, that means that most have suffered from a mental illness, and have found a way to recover. 

 Mental illnesses typically have a high cost, even for those who have recovered.  These illnesses cause people to endure with painful symptoms like depression and anxiety.  They cause difficulties in relationships with family and friends.  They often impact work or school, and can cause great financial challenges.  Many describe their mental illness as the cause of the darkest times in their lives.

When Peer Support Specialists use these dark experiences to help others through their own challenges, they have the privilege of turning that pain and loss into something of great value.  It is those very experiences that enable others to move forward and to find a way out of their own pain.  In a very real sense, Peer Support Specialists use their personal loss as a tool to heal others – turning what was a source of shame into a great benefit.  We all have opportunities to do this on occasion in life, but Peer Support Specialists have the privilege of working every day in a role where they get to do this.  It is a special opportunity that others should be jealous of.

KEY WORDS: Peer Support Specialist, Recovery Stories, Peer Support Role, Peer Support Training, Peer Support Certification, Peer Support Jobs