Have you ever felt lost? Have you ever felt alone? Have you ever felt that no one understands what is going on with your mental health?

What if there was something out there that can help you get found, not feel alone, and understands what you are going through? This something is called mental health peer support.

Peer support involves individuals or groups helping one another based on common struggles with mental health issues and the effect it has on their lives. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, peer support is to give people hope that recovery is not just possible but also likely. The program uses mentoring to encourage empowerment, self-determination, education, coping mechanisms, and resilience.

So, who are the mentors? They are called mental health peer support specialists. They use their own experiences and specialized training in Ethics and Boundaries, Wellness and Self-Care, Advocacy (individual and system), Engagement Skills (active listening, effective use of personal recovery story, navigation of resources, cultural competence), Activation and Self-Management Skills (problem solving, goal setting, shared decision-making, action planning for prevention and recovery) to help others. There are different types of peer support, but they all involve both giving and receiving support. Everyone’s experiences are treated as equally important. No one is more of an expert than anyone else.

Peer support can come in different settings. There is one-on-one support in person, by phone, or zoom. There are support groups. There are classes. You just need to look in the community to see what’s available. You may need to register for the groups and classes or make an appointment for one-on-one support. Much of the time peer support services are offered free of charge. They are usually available 5-7 days a week in most communities.

Peer support is designed to use alongside other services or by itself. You may only need to use it once or you may use it daily. It’s up to you how often and for how long you use it.

It’s up to you to decide if using peer support is right for you. Once you decide the ball is in your court and it’s up to you to decide how much you share. Don’t wait. Reach out to a peer support specialist today.

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Becky Brown and Deb Williams are

the co-founders of Together We Can, a mental health peer support nonprofit

based in Marshalltown.