NCPRSS key terms

A person with lived experience of mental health or substance use recovery who is trained and employed to support others' recovery through mutuality, hope, and role modeling rather than clinical treatment.

Personal history of mental health challenges, substance use, or recovery that qualifies a peer specialist to relate authentically to the people they serve, distinct from professional credentials or formal education.

A peer relationship principle in which support flows in both directions, with shared power and reciprocal learning, rather than a one-directional expert-to-patient dynamic.

The total resources a person can draw on to begin and sustain recovery, including social, physical, human, and cultural assets such as relationships, health, skills, and community belonging.

A practice of identifying and building on a person's existing abilities, interests, values, and supports instead of focusing primarily on deficits, symptoms, or problems.

Demonstrating recovery behaviors, coping strategies, and help-seeking in visible ways so that a peer can see a realistic example of progress and possibility.

Deliberately conveying belief in a person's capacity for change and recovery, using one's own story and language that keeps future possibility visible during discouragement.

A structured peer approach built on connection, worldview awareness, mutuality, and moving toward rather than away from difficult experience, used to guide non-clinical peer conversations.

Restating or paraphrasing the meaning and feeling of what a person has said, so they feel understood and can clarify their own thoughts without being judged or directed.

A question that invites explanation rather than a yes or no answer, such as asking what a person hopes for or how a situation has affected them.

A collaborative conversation style that strengthens a person's own reasons for change by exploring ambivalence, using open questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries.

Statements in which a person voices their own desire, ability, reasons, or need to make a change; peer specialists notice and reinforce these rather than arguing for change.

The principle that people have the right to make their own choices about recovery, treatment, and life direction, including choices a supporter might not personally prefer.

Agreement given after a person receives clear, complete information about what is proposed, including risks, alternatives, and the right to decline or withdraw at any time.

The ethical and legal duty to protect private information shared by a person served, disclosing it only with proper authorization or when a specific exception applies.

A federal law that sets national standards for protecting health information, including rules on when and how covered programs may share a person's protected health information.

A written, time-limited, and revocable authorization signed by a person served that permits a named party to share specified information with specified recipients.

A legal obligation to report suspected child abuse, neglect, or certain other harms to designated authorities, even when the information was shared in confidence.

A legal and ethical obligation, in some jurisdictions, to take protective steps such as notifying an identifiable intended victim or authorities when a person poses a serious threat.

A situation in which a peer specialist has another significant role with a person served, such as friend, landlord, relative, or business partner, creating conflicting obligations and power imbalance.

The agreed limits on a supporter's role, contact, and personal involvement that protect safety, keep the relationship focused on the peer's goals, and prevent exploitation or confusion.

A minor, often unavoidable deviation from usual role limits, such as accepting a small gift or sharing a brief personal detail, which must be examined for impact and discussed in supervision.

Sharing one's own recovery experience or personal information, used purposefully and briefly to build connection or hope rather than to meet the supporter's own needs.

An approach that assumes widespread trauma, recognizes its effects, avoids re-traumatization, and builds safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment into all interactions.

A stimulus such as a sound, place, date, or tone of voice that evokes distressing trauma-related reactions; supporters help people anticipate and manage these responses.

A coping technique that brings attention back to the present moment through the senses, breath, movement, or naming objects, used when someone feels overwhelmed or dissociated.

An ongoing practice of self-reflection, openness, and correction of one's assumptions about culture, identity, and power, rather than claiming mastery of another group's experience.

Adapting communication, scheduling, language access, and support approaches to a person's cultural values, identity, faith, family structure, and community context.

Supporting a person's participation in ordinary community life, such as work, faith, education, recreation, and relationships, as a core recovery outcome rather than an afterthought.

A direct, personal introduction between a person served and a new provider or resource, with consent, so the connection is made live rather than left to the person to arrange alone.

Helping a person identify, access, and follow through with services such as housing, benefits, transportation, or treatment, while building their own capacity to do so.

Teaching and supporting a person to speak for themselves, ask questions, request accommodations, and make their own needs known to providers and systems.

The process of increasing a person's confidence, skills, and authority over their own life decisions, shifting power from the supporter to the person served.

A planning process led by the person's own goals, preferences, and vision of a good life, with supporters and providers contributing around that direction rather than setting it.

A goal written to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, making progress visible and allowing the plan to be adjusted as circumstances change.

A concrete list of small steps, responsibilities, and timeframes that turns a broader recovery goal into doable daily or weekly activity.

A written plan naming personal warning signs, coping strategies, supports to contact, and steps to take if symptoms or substance use return or worsen.

A personalized document describing what helps during a crisis, whom to call, and what the person wants and does not want, ideally created while the person is stable.

A brief, collaborative process of listing warning signs, coping steps, people and places that provide distraction or help, and emergency contacts to use during suicidal or other acute crises.

A structured set of questions used to detect possible suicide risk and determine whether immediate further assessment or emergency response is needed; peers refer rather than treat.

A peer-staffed, non-emergency phone support line offering listening and connection, distinct from crisis lines that dispatch emergency services.

Timely, factual written records of contacts, goals, progress, and referrals that support continuity of care, demonstrate service delivery, and protect both the person served and the specialist.

A dated entry describing what occurred in a contact, the person's stated goals and responses, supports provided, and next steps, written in behavioral and non-judgmental terms.

Descriptive, observable wording in records that avoids labels, opinions, and speculation, reporting what was said and done rather than characterizing the person.

Regular, structured meetings with a qualified supervisor to review cases, examine boundaries, build skills, manage stress, and ensure ethical and competent practice.

Cumulative emotional and cognitive strain from repeated exposure to others' traumatic experiences, which can shift a supporter's worldview and requires active self-care and supervision.

A state of physical and emotional exhaustion, detachment, and reduced effectiveness caused by prolonged workplace stress and overload, distinct from trauma exposure itself.

Ongoing training and learning required to maintain certification and stay current with evidence, ethics, and practice standards in peer recovery support.