Peer Specialist Overview

Welcome to this series of online courses about the practice, power, and potential of peer specialists. Magellan Health Services and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) have partnered to tell you about this exciting new field.
 
My name is Matt Mattson. I serve as DBSA's director of training. I represent one of the millions of people all over the country who live successfully while having experienced the sometimes devastating effects of mental illness. DBSA is an organization run by people who share a similar lived experience. More than 5 million people contact us every year for hope, help and support.
 
Peer specialists are also called consumer-providers, peer support specialists, peer mentors. They're people recovering from mental illness who are trained and certified to help others with mental health challenges gain hope and move forward in their own recovery. 
 
Peer specialists:
 
•         Foster their peers' ability to make informed, independent choices 
•         Help their peers recognize, and build on, their strengths 
•         Help their peers get the information and support they need from the community to make their goals a reality
 
As someone who has traveled a similar path, peer specialists provide hope and are role models. for every person they serve, of the possibility of recovery.   
 
The peer specialist profession is growing more and more throughout the mental health care system. Recently, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services even recognized peer support on a national level as a billable service and an evidence-based practice.  
 
Thanks for joining us! And enjoy this learning experience.

Back