08/28/2026
What is Peer Support?
Well first we need to define what a peer is. A peer is someone with lived experience who is willing to share that experience and support someone who is in a similar situation. A peer is someone who has "been there, done that."
So what is peer support? In the 18th Century a mental hospital in France, Jean Baptiste Pussin, the hospital governor, employed recovered patients to assist current patients, emphasizing empathy and humane care. HUMANE Care...isn't that what we all deserve?
Peer support has been defined as someone who is in recovery of a substance or someone who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition but truly, a peer is someone who is not necessarily a mentor but someone who can lend support, nonjudgmental words of encouragement and a listening ear. That's what we are all about.
Peer support can be preventative care. When you have a community, and feel safe, valued and accepted, it changes everything about how you feel about yourself and your journey.
What if we had more peer support options throughout life? A peer support program without judgement. Without trying to one-up someone else (like social media tends to do). A safe space where you can hear what others are going through, how they are "doing life" and maybe learn from each other.
That's what we do.
We have created a community of families who are supporting each other.
We have created sisterhoods.
We have changed lives.
Come check out what we are doing, volunteer for us, attend our Gala, donate an item for our silent auction, be a support mom, run a support group, volunteer in our community room...there is no shortage of things we need help with!
yanamom.com
