Peer Support Services in VA

Peer support services help Veterans who use VA’s health care services. Any Veteran can have mental health challenges. This may be trouble with addiction or other health issues. These can all affect your daily life and well-being.

Peer specialists are employees and Veterans. They have personal experience with recovery from a mental health condition. They are trained and certified mental health care professionals. They are part of interdisciplinary treatment teams. These teams have different types of health care professionals who work together to help you manage your needs.

Peer specialists provide peer support services to help other Veterans with similar experiences. They help Veterans work on their recovery and wellness goals.

What services do peer specialists provide?

Peer specialists can:

• Be role models for Veterans by sharing their own recovery stories

• Inspire hope and show that recovery is possible

• Work with other health care professionals on treatment teams to support Veterans’ goals

• Help Veterans grow and improve their problem-solving skills

• Help Veterans find strengths, resources and skills to reach their goals

• Guide Veterans to develop self-care skills to manage health conditions

• Inspire Veterans to successfully speak for themselves

• Talk with Veterans about VA and community resources

• Connect Veterans to resources when needed

• Help Veterans see their personal potential

• Help Veterans believe in their ability to reach wellness and personal goals

Where do peer support staff provide services?

Peer support services is a mental health care profession in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). It is not a program. There are almost 1,420 peer specialists who offer peer support services. They work in many VHA settings. You can find peer specialists in programs such as:

• Inpatient mental health programs

• Outpatient mental health clinics

• Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Centers

• Mental Health Intensive Case Management programs

• Substance use disorder treatment programs

• Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment programs

• Vocational Rehabilitation Services

• Homeless programs

• Primary Care Patient Care Aligned Teams and specialty clinics

• Veterans Justice program

• Veterans Crisis Line’s Peer Support Outreach Center

Peer specialists offer services with Veterans in these settings:

• One-on-one meetings

• Group-based meetings

• In-person or via telehealth

This will depend on local VA services and Veteran preferences.

“As a peer specialist and Veteran who has personal experience with recovery from mental health challenges, I support and encourage Veterans to see themselves through their capabilities, not their limitations. I support them to find their individual pathway to recovery that is based on their personal strengths, needs, and experiences.” - Anonymous Peer Specialist

How can I get peer support services?

To work with a peer specialist, talk with your current VA health care provider. You can ask them for a referral for peer support services.

• Find a list of VA facilities online.

• Find information about VA healthcare benefits. 

• Call VA's general information hotline at 800-827-1000.