ISPS-US supports the goals of the Providing Empathetic and Effective Recovery (PEER) Support Act, a bipartisan bill that uplifts and strengthens the critical role of peer support specialists.
The PEER Support Act would help remove barriers that prevent peer supporters from entering or staying in the field, provide federal recognition of peer support as a profession, and promote best practices in training and certification. It would also direct federal agencies to investigate and address unjust screening practices, such as denying certification to people because of past criminal charges related to substance use, which exclude some of the most knowledgeable and committed potential peer workers.
Peer support is a cornerstone of humane, person-centered mental health care. Those with lived experience bring essential wisdom to the healing process. They are often the lifeline for people navigating fragmented and disempowering systems, bridging divides not only between diagnosis and recovery, but between isolation and connection, despair and hope.
ISPS-US recognizes the tension that can exist between formalizing peer support and the risk of co-optation. We know that system-involved roles can, at times, compromise the radical, relational, and anti-oppressive roots of the peer movement. Professionalization must not come at the cost of authenticity or autonomy. We affirm the importance of peer work both inside and outside traditional systems, and believe that peer support must remain grounded in mutuality, compassion, and lived expertise.
We support this bill as a step toward valuing and sustaining the labor of peers while continuing to challenge and reshape the systems in which they operate. We encourage our members and community to take action by contacting their elected officials and urging them to support the PEER Support Act.
Together, we can move toward a world where the wisdom of lived experience is fully honored.
Call to Action:
Let your voice be heard! Tell your representatives to support the PEER Support Act and uplift the vital role of peer support in transforming mental health care.
Learn more about the PEER Support Act here.
