PEER SERVICES PROGRAM
ColumbiaCare believes that people get better. What better evidence of this than individuals living with a mental health challenges, through their own hard work and commitment to recovery, overcoming great challenges and then supporting others to do the same?
What is Peer Support?
Peer Support is a way of providing support from a perspective of shared experience. Shared experience can take many forms, including lived experience with mental health challenges. In our Veterans programs, shared experience is defined by having the experience of being a Veteran.
Peer support focuses on the individual’s strengths and ability to learn and grow. Due to the nature of peer support, the peer relationship can also be reciprocal and offer opportunities for our peer staff and service recipients to learn from each other. Peer support relationships are founded on mutual respect, shared power, and moving towards what the individual finds meaningful to them. Our peer staff work to meet people “where they are at”, support the self-determined goals of the individual, and support individuals in their recovery – whatever that looks like for them. Peer support is also focused on breaking stigma related to mental health challenges and diagnoses. We want people to know that recovery is possible and remind individuals that these challenges are nothing to be ashamed of.
Peer Support at ColumbiaCare is provided in a variety of settings- including our residential programs, outpatient programs, Rental Assistance Programs, Supportive Housing, and veterans programs. Many of our peer services work collaboratively alongside our clinical services to provide support.
Peer support provided at ColumbiaCare is guided by the tasks and principles of Intentional Peer Support, as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAHMSA’s) guiding principles for peer workers. Working from these values, our peer supporters are instrumental in having discussions with individuals about what their experiences mean to them so that they can move towards creating a meaningful and fulfilling life, rather than one that is defined by an illness or diagnosis.
Peer support focuses on the individual’s strengths and ability to learn and grow. Due to the nature of peer support, the peer relationship can also be reciprocal and offer opportunities for our peer staff and service recipients to learn from each other. Peer support relationships are founded on mutual respect, shared power, and moving towards what the individual finds meaningful to them. Our peer staff work to meet people “where they are at”, support the self-determined goals of the individual, and support individuals in their recovery – whatever that looks like for them. Peer support is also focused on breaking stigma related to mental health challenges and diagnoses. We want people to know that recovery is possible and remind individuals that these challenges are nothing to be ashamed of.
Peer Support at ColumbiaCare is provided in a variety of settings- including our residential programs, outpatient programs, Rental Assistance Programs, Supportive Housing, and veterans programs. Many of our peer services work collaboratively alongside our clinical services to provide support.
Peer support provided at ColumbiaCare is guided by the tasks and principles of Intentional Peer Support, as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAHMSA’s) guiding principles for peer workers. Working from these values, our peer supporters are instrumental in having discussions with individuals about what their experiences mean to them so that they can move towards creating a meaningful and fulfilling life, rather than one that is defined by an illness or diagnosis.
Peer Program Manager
ColumbiaCare’s Peer Program Manager provides consultation to programs that have peer roles to improve current implementation of peer services. Additionally, this role provides consultation and guidance to area’s of the agency that may benefit from creation of future peer roles. The Peer Program Manager provides direct supervision to our Residential Peer Support Specialists and is available to support all peer roles as needed. The Peer Program Manager also provides guidance and training to ColumbiaCare staff on fidelity of peer services to best ensure collaboration between staff.
For more information about the Peer Services Program, please contact Nybelle Caruso, Peer Program Manager at ncaruso@columbiacare.org.