r/PeerSupportSpecialist

Hello,

I'm a founder building mPathy, an anonymous peer support app that matches people in early recovery, dealing with grief, or navigating mental health challenges with peers who've been through something similar.

The model: 1:1 anonymous matching, strong safety and moderation layers (keyword monitoring, reporting, escalation to professional help), and a freemium subscription. We're not therapy and we're not trying to replace it. We're the human connection layer that helps people stay supported between sessions or before they're ready to seek formal help.

I'd love feedback from social workers specifically:

1. Do you see a gap like this in your clients' lives, peer connection outside of formal care?
2. Would you feel comfortable referring a client to something like mPathy as a supplement to their care plan?
3. What would you need to see (safety features, credentials, policies) to trust a peer support app enough to recommend it?

Also open to connecting with social workers who work in recovery, grief, or mental health and might want to be involved early, whether as advisors, beta testers, or being a professional partner.

Happy to answer any questions. Thanks for your time.

I have had 3 roles as a peer now.

I worked in a crisis Respite, a hfact team and now a permanent housing team. I find it hard to support the COPSD peers that are in the pre contemplation stage. I keep thinking to my self meet them where they are at but it's been a year now with the same people. I am feeling burned out thinking to myself "what is the point?"

Anyone else have this?

Today I got a call to be interviewed for a peer support specialist. I am not certified but they’re willing to work with me and in a few months I can become certified. I need some advice and insight. How should I prepare for the interview? What should I expect being a peer support specialist? & please anything to help me succeed at the interview & job is highly appreciated. Thanks!

Was there an "aha" moment that brought you here? Did you think of it all on your own? Did someone else suggest it? What was the journey like for you?

This field can be difficult, so why do you stay?

I'm curious, as I've been all of my life, but I'm also thinking of writing an article about peer support.

It’s been months and they won’t get back to me. I’ve tried emailing them, calling them, everything. I don’t know what to do. They just won’t fucking respond. I’m worried I’m going to lose my job because of statewide incompetence. It doesn’t help every consumer has been an asshole lately. One called my supervisor 9 times to complain about something I had no control over

So I think I’ve decided I’m going to study peer work next year. I’m in Australia, where that looks like doing a one year course. I’m currently taking a gap year, and I’d like to start getting involved in some things related to peer work so I can get some sort of experience and more awareness of the space.

Things like volunteering, short courses, community groups, advocacy stuff. Really anything that relates to peer work, even quite loosely.

If you have any recommendations or places to find those things, I’d love to know!

(even if you’re not in Australia it would be helpful to hear what you did, then I can find equivalents here)

Im really upset that my state (new Mexico) cut funding for the warmline by 75% and is letting go almost half their staff. There’s people I’ve been talking to on there for years, and one of my favorite peer support workers told me today he and 5 others are being let go and today is everyone’s last day.

Grateful to all you peer support workers out there for the work you do, having peer support workers available through a warmline has been immensely helpful and I’m heartbroken these programs are suffering.

Edit: Didn't mean to repeat myself in the title 🫠

As the title says, is peer support still worth pursuing under this administration? I know their goal is to gut every program they can, and I would imagine mental health is at the bottom rung for them.

I know they've already made some major adjustments, but I only researched it probably a year or more ago.

I completely abandoned my dream of going into this job when he got elected, because I suspected that it would only get worse, less funded, less accessible, etc.

What's your experience been? Have you noticed any new obstacles?

I live in Maryland if it makes any difference.

Thanks!

Family : They want me to be with them. Cheap, easy life but not don’t like the city.
150 miles destination-
Alone : I have the freedom to do what I want. Expensive. Heard life but love the city I am in.

Hello! I'd love to hear from peers who have worked both outreach jobs where you're out in the community and also peer jobs where you're in one location. How did you find the differences? What worked/what didn't?

Hi everyone! I’m interviewing to become an NHS Peer Support Practitioner next week for an inpatient setting with a group programme.

I reckon one of the questions will be about what kind of groups I’d run as a PSP. I would like to do some kind of goal setting group and nature mindfulness group. However, I don’t want to suggest a group that comes across as a therapy group — obviously peer support isn’t supposed to be clinical/treatment.

Would love to hear some successful groups you guys have run?

Bonus question — what is a peer supporter suppose to do if a patient refuses medication?

Just a vent. I witnessed a traumatic thing in the field today at a peer’s house. It’s a direct trigger to my PTSD, but it would’ve been distressing to anyone, objectively. I’m having a hard time with the intrusive thoughts and feeling like I should’ve done more or done something differently despite knowing I would’ve overstepped boundaries if I tried to do more. I’ll discuss it in therapy. However, I’ve dealt with multiple crises in the last two weeks with little time to de-stress, so witnessing this event is really messing with me mentally.

This week has been great. I’ve already learned so much and excited to learn more.

QUESTION though. I feel like the staff is extra nice? Almost reminds me of how they were nice in the mental hospital lol like treating me almost as a patient. I’m not complaining but am I imagining that or does it happen?

First question: Do you provide Peer Support through the lens of “it’s an actual model of providing Peer Support?”

For context, It’s generally accepted that there is a clinical model when practicing clinical services.

Do you as a Peer support specialist see Peer Support as having an actual model that includes building skills around putting the core values and core competencies into practice?

What are the core values and competencies of the Peer Support model?

I’ve referred to it being an actual model, but I don’t see a global or even national agreed upon model/framework.

I’ve said many times that either providing Peer Support or when an agency implements it as a program, it needs to be aligned with the Model to ensure fidelity.

I believe it’s important so that we as people providing peer support have a guide to practice aligned with the values. It’s also very important for agencies implementing it to be fully aligned or it can lead to co-optation and worse harmful to us Peer Support Specialists.

Given I don’t see funding agencies being experts in implementing Peer Support, how do we as the larger community of people with lived experience define it ourselves?

What are people’s thoughts about all this?

Hey y’all! I just accepted an offer today and next month will start my job as a youth mental health peer support specialist. I’m very excited but also very nervous. I have worked so hard on my recovery, I have been dealing with mental health since I was 5. I understand especially how it is to be young and going through mental health struggles. I guess I just wanted any starting advice? Any book recommendations as I love to read. What would you have liked to know when you first started? Literally anything you think might be helpful. Thank you!

Hey friends ,
Anyone working in bend Oregon or Portland area? I’d like to maybe move there someday and curious what peer jobs are there. I have friends there and family up in Washington.. thanks

Anyone have experience using this platform that is currently available only in Ohio? How does booking and scheduling actually work in practice?