CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALIST VALUES

 

The primary responsibility of Certified Peer Specialists is to help individuals achieve their needs, wants and goals.

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Certified Peer Specialists strive to:

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1….affirm everyone’s ability to learn and grow;

2….communicate a sense of hope and possibility;

3….respect the rights and dignity of the individuals they serve, including any written communication about them;

4….keep the focus on the individual’s strengths, assets and possibilities;

5….accept, affirm and validate the individuals where s/he is and honor her/his decisions;

6….communicate that there are many roads to recovery;

7….keep the individual’s well-being as the primary concern;

8….give the individual as many choices and options as possible;

9…..help the individual become fully integrated into the community of his or her choice;

10…maintain confidentiality and not provide identifying information;

11…communicate that recovery and treatment for one’s illness is voluntary;

12…sustain and preserve objective and professional relationships;

13…not push ones recovery experience onto another individual;

14…keep personal interests from conflicting with the interests of the individual;

15…not use the unique relationship to unduly persuade or coerce;

16…use their recovery story in a positive and hopeful manner;

17…portray the face of recovery and be a role-model;

18…work within the limits of their experience and training;

19…preserve boundaries that promote recovery;

20…maintain and strengthen their own recovery;

21…promote the profession of peer support specialists;

22…work in partnership with others to meet the needs of the individuals we serve;

23…show that they take adequate measures to discourage any unethical conduct;

24…communicate that all services should promote a person’s recovery; and

25…honor agency guidelines, policies and principles of conduct.