• Empower Others: Use your story to inspire hope and resilience in others.

• Personal Growth: Helping others can reinforce your own recovery.

• Build Community: Connect with individuals and organizations dedicated to mental health and recovery.

• Flexible Opportunities: Work in various settings that match your interests and strengths.

• Ongoing Learning: Engage in continuous education and professional development.

A career in peer support allows you to turn your personal journey into a powerful tool for helping others, fostering both personal and community growth!

With a high school diploma/GED, lived experience and additional training

• Peer Support Specialist

Peer Support Specialists use their own experience with mental health or addiction recovery to help others going through similar challenges. They listen, offer encouragement, and help people set and reach personal goals with a sense of understanding that professional training alone can't provide. They might go to doctor visits with someone, help them find housing or support groups, or just be there to talk. Peer supporters are a trusted guide in someone’s recovery journey.

• Family Peer Supporter 

Family Peer Supporters help parents, caregivers, or family members understand how to support a loved one with mental health or addiction issues. They’ve been through similar experiences and can offer real-life advice, resources, and emotional support. They help families feel less alone, make sense of complex systems, and speak up for their needs.

• Youth Peer Support Specialist

Youth Peer Supporters are young adults (ages 18 to 30 years) who’ve had their own experiences with mental health or substance use challenges. They mentor other youth, offering understanding and hope. They help young people talk about their feelings, build confidence, and find healthy ways to cope. They may work in schools, youth centers, or treatment programs.

• Harm Reduction Specialist

A Harm Reduction Specialist assists individuals struggling with addiction in staying safe and healthy. They provide supplies like clean needles and naloxone, a medication that can reverse overdoses. Additionally, they educate clients on how to minimize their risk of illness or injury. Harm Reduction Specialists listen without judgment and help connect individuals to healthcare services, housing, and/or treatment options if they are interested. [Learn more about Substance Use Disorder Treatment careers →]

• Mobile Crisis Responder

A mobile crisis responder travels wherever there’s a person experiencing difficulties with their emotions, relationships, or circumstances. They focus on a speedy and adequate response to people’s homes, schools, or public spaces to provide support at the right time and place. By actively listening and conducting a thoughtful assessment, they identify the most suitable next steps for the individual, guiding them toward ongoing counseling or making the needed referrals to a hospital. Their presence offers hope and empowers individuals to find the help they need when it matters most. [Learn more about Crisis Services careers →]

Other job titles you may see:

• Peer Recovery Coach

• Family Support Specialist

• Wraparound Peer Support Specialist

• Peer Recovery Support Specialist

• Crisis Peer Supporter

• Peer Support Supervisor

• Provide Emotional Support: Listen and share experiences to offer comfort and understanding.

• Assist with Goal Setting: Help peers identify and work towards personal recovery goals.

• Teach Skills: Help peers build important life and recovery skills, such as managing stress, setting boundaries, and making healthy decisions.

• Connect to Resources: Guide individuals to appropriate services and support networks.

• Promote Self-Advocacy: Encourage peers to take charge of their recovery journey.

• Model Recovery: Demonstrate that recovery is possible.

Peer supporters play a vital role in behavioral health by offering relatable guidance and fostering a supportive environment for recovery.

• Peer Run Organizations

• Community Mental Health Centers

• Hospitals and Clinics

• Recovery Centers

• Schools and Youth Programs

• Wraparound Programs

• Justice Systems

• Harm Reduction Programs.

• ​​Veterans Programs

• First Responder Programs

Peer supporters are employed in diverse settings, reflecting the broad need for their unique insights across various stages of recovery.

• Individuals with Mental Health Conditions: Offering support tailored to mental health recovery.

• People Recovering from Substance Use: Guiding peers through sobriety and beyond.

• Youth Facing Behavioral Challenges: Providing age-appropriate support and mentorship.

• Families and Caregivers: Assisting those supporting loved ones in recovery.

• Veterans and First Responders: Addressing unique stressors related to service.

Peer supporters assist a wide range of individuals, adapting their approach to meet diverse needs and experiences.

To become a Certified Peer Recovery Supporter in Ohio, you need to:

1. Have a high school diploma or GED

2. Complete 16 Hours of Online Training: Available through the e-Based Academy.

3. Attend a 40-Hour In-Person or Virtual Training: Offered by approved providers like Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (Adult and Youth), Thrive Peer Recovery Services, Mental Health America, NAMI of Ohio, or The Mosaic Project, 

Some roles may not require certification. Instead, population-specific training will be provided.

If you're interested in leadership roles, like being a supervisor or program manager, you may need additional education or training, such as classes in behavioral health, human services, or leadership. Some positions may also require prior experience in the field, a bachelor degree or higher.

Note: Lived experience with mental health or substance use recovery is required.

• Certified Peer Recovery Supporter (CPRS): Credential for individuals with lived experience in recovery.

• Certified Family Peer Supporter (CFPS): For those supporting family members with behavioral health challenges.

• Certified Youth Peer Supporter (CYPS): Focused on assisting young individuals in recovery.

Learn more about certification in Ohio on the Ohio Department Mental Health and Addiction Services website.

Click here to learn more about licenses, credentials, and certifications.