Including Peer Support Specialists in mental health care settings is one of the most important developments in recovery-oriented psychiatric care in the past 40 years. This pocket resource is designed to help Peer Specialists working with adults in mental health and/or substance use treatment successfully navigate what is often a complex and confusing clinical setting, while staying true to their unique role and identity.
“Great resource!!! I’ve been a peer specialist for over a year and had I ordered this sooner, I would’ve been more efficient in my role. I would definitely recommend to all peer counselors.” – Marquez Ohana
“This gem of a book is chock-full of hard won wisdom. It will be very helpful for peers (and also for those who are beginning to work in the mental health field”. – Dr. Frances Frankenburg, Author of Brain-Robbers: How Alcohol, Cocaine, Nicotine, and Opiates Have Changed Human History
AVAILABLE SOON!! Peer counseling is the most common intervention that Peer Support Specialists provide. It requires a specific set of skills that takes years to learn to provide well. This book is designed to be an easy-to-access resource that you can have with you and use while you are providing peer counseling. It is also designed to be a training resource for Peer Support Specialists and other peer counselors who are learning these core skills. It includes theory and background information, but it is designed to encourage you to practice and build your counseling skills. You’ll see exercises and questions to guide your efforts.
“Lots of people are doing peer counseling with little or no training. That is unfortunate, because we want to provide the best peer support we can, and peer counseling takes time to learn. This book provides a practical introduction to peer counseling, as well as useful examples and activities to help you learn how to do it well. I recommend it to all of the peer support providers I know.”
There were more visits to peer support/self-help groups last year than there were visits to the offices of mental health professionals. Peer support groups have exploded in popularity, as the public and healthcare community recognize that peer support provides an effective complement to formal care, and improves the chance for better healthcare outcomes.
Few peer support/self-help group leaders have more than minimal training in how to lead a group successfully. This is unfortunate, as leading a self-help group is often challenging. This pocket resource is designed to provide easy access to key information and strategies to help Peer Support Specialists and volunteer group leaders develop and expand their group facilitation skills so they can lead healthy thriving peer support groups.
“This book is full of practical information to help anyone leading a self-help group or thinking about leading a group. Some of the most helpful strategies focus on how to facilitate a successful meeting, understanding and maintaining boundaries, developing a new group, dealing with difficult group members, dealing with difficult group situations, and legal and ethical issues.”
Advocacy for consumers of mental health and social services is a key force moving these services toward truly patient-centered care. Patients, family members, Peer Support Specialists, clinical staff and quality assurance professionals all find themselves in the advocacy role at times, pushing for continued improvement in programs and organizations that patients rely on for their recovery. Unfortunately, few people have any formal training or education in how to advocate effectively.
This pocket resource is designed to provide easy access to the key strategies and information needed to help anyone finding themselves advocating for small or large changes in a healthcare or social service organization, to do so effectively.
“This book is one of the few resources available to help anyone serve as a successful advocate, whether it is a family member trying to get a change in a relative’s care, or a clinician or Peer Specialist pushing for major improvement in programs and organizations.”