| Popis: |
UNSTRUCTURED Peer Support Specialists are extremely effective in assisting individuals with emotional distress, as shown by consistent data from testimonials and both specialized and gray literature (1,2) There is a consistent body of data reflecting the undeniable value of Peer Services. Peers’ interventions contribute to improve on self-esteem and confidence, on the ability to bring about changes and on the feeling that treatment is addressing the real needs of individuals (3). In the past few years, Peer Support Specialists have been officially recognized as essential figures by Medicaid -Managed Care organizations and other public health institutions for the of delivery of integrated and coordinated behavioral health services (4). However, this substantial progress is just one face of the coin. With institutional recognition, comes also the risk of loss of identity. According to the testimony from several reliable Peers, the recognition of their official role under Medicaid could undermine the very nature of their interventions by morphing them into a hybrid of traditional medical and clinical recovery principles, structured and supervised by “mainstream” trained clinicians. The result could be the loss of Peers’ identity and functions. The article intends to spearhead a dialogue on the critical issue of maintaining the integrity of the original peer support model. |
