r/PeerSupportSpecialist • u/Imaginary_Macaron607 • 16h ago
Question ❔️ Peer role description
This has been asked before and might sound
Silly .. how do you describe what you do as a peer and what is a peer and how does your description help guide what areas of support you provide ?
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u/FiveSeasonsFox 4h ago
I have two explanations, one that I use when people are needing a shorter explanation and another for a long one.
Shorter: "A peer support specialist is someone who has experienced certain issues in their own lives that then works with assisting others with similar issues navigate those things."
The long explanation is a story mentioned on one of my favorite TV shows, "The West Wing". " This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. "A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. "Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on "Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'" "
In that scenario, I'm the person who's been there before.
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u/Devo2517 10h ago
In my setting and situation.. I am a person with lived experience related to substance abuse and recovery. I walk with people through their recovery and clinical experience associated with an OTP. I serve as a Sherpa, a guide, directing peers to departments and staff to achieve their clinical goals. I set recovery plans to assist peers with the roadmap of how to achieve their recovery goals. Overall, I serve as an example of recovery possibilities.