“The mission of the Mental Health Division is to promote recovery and safety.”
Peer Support
Peer Support allows consumers who have experienced a mental illness to provide support for other consumers who are dealing with similar experiences. Peer Counselors are especially qualified to provide support, encouragement and resources to consumers and families because they have been in a similar situation and know what it feels like. They assist consumers in identifying life goals and taking specific steps to achieve them--steps such as building up social support networks, managing internal and external stress, and navigating service delivery systems. Peer Counselors work for or subcontract with licensed mental health agencies to provide peer support services.
Peer Counselors help consumers identify goals
that promote recovery and resiliency and assist them in identifying services
and activities to help them reach these goals. Peer Counselors share their
own experiences in recovery to encourage consumers to regain hope in, and
control over their own lives. They promote personal responsibility for recovery
and assist consumers in learning to advocate for themselves. Peer Counselors
work with consumers in groups or individually. Peer counselors are well grounded
in their own recovery and model competency in ongoing coping skills.
The Washington State Peer Support Counselor Training Program has now trained
and certified consumers for the past two years. The Mental Health Division
conducted eight separate 40-hour trainings in Tacoma, Washington. Approximately
25 consumers attended each 1-week training. Peer Support Counselors become
certified by successfully completing the program and passing the certification
exam and completing the Department
of Health Registered Registered Counselor Program :
• Laws Governing PEER Support: WAC 388-865-0107, WAC 388-865-0150,WAC 388-865-0230, and WAC 388-865-0400
For Further Information Contact:PEER Support Program Manager (360) 902-0794 |
| Documents |
||
| Name |
Year |
File Type |
| PEER Counselor Application | 2007-2008 | PDF Viewer |
| PEER Counseling Training Schedule for 2008 | 2007-2008 | Word Viewer |
| Training |
||
| PEER Support Training September 22-26 2008 | 2008 | |
| PEER Support Training October 13-17 2008 | 2008 | |
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files and you can download it for free. If you do not have an application that can display Microsoft Word documents (.doc), you can download a free Word Viewer.
For more ways to get in touch with the Department of Mental Health Services, go to the DSHS Contact Information Web page. Mental Health Related Questions Contact:
