When we think about sources of help for mental illness and substance abuse, we tend to think of professionals who have been formally trained. There are, however, thousands of individuals who have lived with these conditions and upon reaching satisfactory recovery became peer support specialists.
South Carolina offers two types of certification: Certified Peer Support Specialist and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. The CPSS is oriented to those in recovery for mental illness, while the CPRS focuses on substance abuse recovery. Both require an applicant to have a high school diploma or GED, lived experience with a mental illness or substance abuse condition, at least three years in recovery, completion of an approved training course and exam, and at least 100 hours of supervised work providing peer support.
A CPSS or CPRS can work in volunteer or paid positions and are found in hospitals, agencies and non-profit organizations. Peer specialists educate the community, serve on treatment teams and talk to medical staff about recovery needs. They do not diagnose or provide therapy, but serve a vital role helping families and individuals navigate the recovery process through advocacy, mentoring and recovery support.
Advocacy includes speaking out about the needs and rights of those in recovery. For example, The Courage Center in Lexington County has a program which places peer specialists in our area hospitals to help educate emergency room staff in addition to being a point of contact for patients admitted to the ER. Advocacy also includes harm reduction education and resources to prevent fatalities. The Courage Center provides Narcan, free of charge, at local pop-up events.
Mentoring and recovery support are provided individually or in support groups, such as those provided by our local NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) chapter in Columbia. Meeting with others who are going through what you are is a powerful way to be understood and seen. Whether in a group or individual format, a peer support specialist provides empathy and support, using their own experiences to relate to those they are helping. Peer support recognizes that experience itself is a powerful educator about what others need to succeed in recovery.
While old stereotypes send the message it is shameful and a sign of weakness to have had troubles with substances or mental illness, peer support specialists and the organizations which support them, prove every day that the opposite is, in fact, true. It takes tremendous strength and courage to reach and maintain recovery. Recovery does not happen in a vacuum, nor is it a one-size-fits-all situation, which is another reason our peer specialists are such an important part of anyone’s recovery team; they represent the diversity of those affected by mental illness and substance abuse.
If you are interested in being a certified peer support specialist, you can get more information and receive training from SC SHARE (www.scshare.com). The Courage Center provides support groups and offers training to become a certified peer recovery specialist (www.couragecentersc.org). NAMI officers educational groups led by peers (www.namisc.org).
Nora Sinclair is a licensed professional counselor and national certified counselor based in Lexington, S.C.