In November 2009, the Pillars of Peer Support Services Summit was convened at the Carter Center in Atlanta, GA. The intent of the Summit was to bring together those states that currently provide formal training and certification for peer providers working in mental health systems to examine the multiple levels of state support necessary for a strong and vital peer workforce able to engage in states’ efforts at system transformation, including recent innovations in Whole Health.
This report provides a comprehensive summary of the results and findings of the Pillars of Peer Support Services Summit. The report begins with a review of the relevant literature as it pertains to the evolving policy for mental health services and peer support services. It is followed by a review of existing state level data of peer support services that was collected as part of the Summit. A set of twenty five pillars of peer support services were developed in conjunction with this summit. Finally, based upon the results of the summit a series of six recommendations are advanced to promote the role of the pillars in the promulgation of peer support services and the peer support workforce at the state and federal level.
[Click to view Pillars of Peer Support (PDF, 846KB, 48 pages)]
