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:
CPSS can assist clients by:
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
- 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
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