Service User or Peer Specialist?

I recently arrived into Alaska by ferry – the 3 night journey gave me plenty of time to reflect on my trip so far. As mentioned in my last blog entry, the term used in the USA to describe people with lived experience of mental health issues is ‘peer’ rather than service user. The word peer is used to represent the relationship peer-to-peer, a meeting of equals.

The peer movement in the USA has created a new profession – Peer Specialists – people who have personal experience of mental health issues and undertake training to use their experiences to help others. This profession feels different from, and more powerful than, service user involvement worker roles in the UK.

Peer Specialists support people experiencing emotional and psychological distress and provide advocacy. One of the approaches Peer Specialists use is Intentional Peer Support (http://www.intentionalpeersupport.org) – most of the crisis houses I have visited in the USA use this approach. During my travels, I have sat in some classes as part of Peer Specialist training courses, and learnt about the values and skills of this profession. One of the unique aspects of the profession is ‘intentional disclosure’ – a particular way of sharing personal experiences to support and give hope to others.

Peer Specialists are employed by a range of agencies and organisations – some work in mental health teams alongside psychiatrists, social workers and other professional groups; others opt to work in peer run organisations. There are opportunities for career development and ‘moving up the ladder’ within the profession of Peer Specialist – I have come across many directors of peer-run organisations.