I WAS A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

by John Friday CPSWS

This book reflects on what it is like being a peer support specialist. To qualify to be a peer support specialist, one must have a lived experience of mental illness, trauma, and/or substance abuse. As a former mental health provider, I worked with people who struggled daily with mental health challenges. Peer support gives them the opportunity to talk with someone who understands, empathizes with, and validates their struggles. Together we nurtured a relationship of mutual support that worked toward personal goals unique to each of our recovery journeys. Through this relationship, we regained hope in a life that thrived. This book chronicles my growth as a peer support specialist and a deepening of my understanding of the peer-to-peer relationship and our shared recovery journeys. The book also reflects on my own struggles with mental illness.

112 pages, Paperback

Published April 16, 2018