What is a Peer Support Specialist?
A Reentry Peer Support Specialist is someone with personal experience in navigating the challenges of reentry—including employment barriers, addiction recovery, family alienation, and mental health conditions such as trauma or PTSD. Because of this lived experience, they bring a deep, empathetic understanding of what clients may be going through.
Unlike counselors or clinical care providers—who may need to maintain professional distance and avoid sharing their personal stories—peer support specialists are encouraged to draw on their own journeys. They may live with similar mental health conditions but have learned to manage them through therapy, medication, and other tools.
1. Supportive Peer Counseling
Peer support specialists offer guidance throughout the reentry process by sharing lived experience and hard-earned insight. They provide mentoring and collaborate with clinical care teams as participants in a client’s overall wellness journey. Clients receive help with recommended steps and activities—and benefit from a compassionate, relatable presence when they’re facing personal challenges. Peer specialists also assist with relationship building, goal-setting, and developing core social skills.
2. Resource Navigation and Advocacy
Reentry peer specialists are knowledgeable resource navigators and active problem-solvers. As members of multidisciplinary teams, they help clients explore their options and access services—online or in person whenever possible. They offer individualized support, helping clients understand what’s available and how to take the next step.