by Celeste Florentin, MSW
e sse nt i al well-being
Long before the SARS-CoV-2 virus appeared, peer support groups were proliferating across the United States, frequently taking place in person though also offered virtually and even over the phone. Certified peer specialists have played an integral role in Wisconsin’s mental health system since 2010, when the first cohort of peers successfully completed the state certification exam. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines peer support as “encompass[ing] a range of activities and interactions between people who share similar experiences of being diagnosed with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, or both.” In other words, people who share a characteristic, such as a mental health diagnosis, support each other in various ways by talking about their lived experiences and offer hope, help, and support to each other. A key element that distinguishes peer support from a more traditional therapy model is that peers are equals, rather than a patient seeking advice from an expert. The first time I encountered the phrase peer support was around five years ago while reading an article in a local paper. Peers, as in a jury of one’s peers or as it was used interchangeably with the word classmates by my teachers when I was in school, was just another vocabulary word whose deeper meanings and associations I had never had the time nor need to internalize. I first came to understand the function of peer support in the same way many people do, as a consumer myself. The first peer support group I attended was full of strangers with kind faces and sad eyes. As I listened to the facilitators welcome participants, and as people began to share, I realized I had never experienced anything like this gathering. It was as if we had created a separate universe where stigma and disapproving stares couldn’t penetrate—where people spoke freely of their diagnoses, medications, and hospitalizations without fear. At the beginning of the meeting, it was unimaginable to me that I would say anything more than my name, but when the facilitator finally asked me if I was ready to share, I felt perfectly safe and comfortable
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