Historical Underpinnings of Peer Support within U.S. Behavioral Health

Peer support is an evidence-based intervention in behavioral health. It advances social work values and ethics, the human rights principle of participation, and has the potential to validate experiences of oppression and injustice. Despite significant recent attention in behavioral health practice and research, peer support is more nascent in other areas of practice. This research note explores the evolution of peer support in the field of behavioral health in the United States. It is offered to aid and encourage peer support integration in more nascent settings (e.g., youth homelessness).