Peer Support Services
Certified Peer Support Specialists (CPSS) are critical in the Idaho mental health service. These trained support specialists work in the behavioral health system, and also have experienced a mental illness and recovery. They are well-positioned to support others who are seeking recovery. 
CPSS offer hope and encouragement by sharing their experiences and knowledge, while addressing the needs of the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. They work to create opportunities for recovering peers to live satisfying and meaningful lives. 
CPSS can assist clients by:

• Encouraging the participant's self-determination, hope, insight, and the development of new skills
• Preparing for healthcare visits and asking questions
• Identifying and setting health-related goals
• Planning specific action steps to achieve goals
• Encouraging exercise and good nutrition
• Assisting in daily management tasks
• Assisting in problem-solving
• Providing social and emotional support and feedback
• Building community support (accessing community services)
• The CPSS helps members increase self-engagement with four important elements:
  • Support
  • Hope
  • Opportunity
  • Tools

Using self-care tools and strategies, CPSS help members in the following domains:

• Increased self-awareness of strengths
• Increase self-care planning and implementation skills
• Self-management of negative self-talk
• Increased self-confidence
• Ability to share their story
• Increased hope
• Increased sense of empowerment and self-responsibility

Certified Peer Support Specialists provide hope for individuals, families, and communities recovering from mental illness by offering connections to a community of peers, encouragement and understanding, information regarding resources, and support through recovery. Supports include interpersonal relations, symptom management, relapse prevention, a wellness recovery action plan, and community engagement.
CPSS can assist clients by:

• Encouraging the participant’s self-determination, hope, insight, and the development of new skills
• Assisting the client with setting recovery goals and developing a recovery action plan
• Helping to resolve problems and address barriers related to recovery
• Connecting client with professional and non-professional recovery resources in the community and helping members navigate the service system to access resources independently
• Helping client to reduce isolation and build a community that supports recovery