Practical & recovery support
Peer Support
Time with someone who has been through recovery themselves, and does not need it explained.
Someone who has been where you are.
There is a particular kind of relief in talking to someone who has already had the conversation you are dreading, already sat through the first group, already told a family member. They are not guessing at what it is like.
Peer support is not therapy and it is not advice. Mana’s peer supporters are certified peer support specialists: people who have lived it, are further along, and are willing to be honest about how it actually went — including the parts that were not tidy.
For some people this is the thing that makes the rest of treatment tolerable. Clinical care can feel like being assessed. Peer support usually does not.
Who this may help
- People who want to talk to someone who has been through it
- Adults early in recovery who feel out of their depth
- People who find clinical settings hard going
- People who want a realistic picture of what comes next
Not a clinical service
Peer support does not replace therapy, medication management or crisis care. A peer supporter cannot prescribe, diagnose or provide treatment — and will tell you when something needs a clinician.
Part of your care
Peer support is for people enrolled at Mana, as part of their care. It is not a standalone service booked on its own.
What to expect
How it works.
An introduction
You meet, and they tell you something about their own experience. There is no assessment and nothing is written up as clinical record.
Regular contact
Ongoing conversations — sometimes about treatment, often about the ordinary business of getting through a week.
Alongside your care
What is discussed stays between you unless you ask for something to be passed on, or safety requires it.
How often, and where
Weekly, and as needed on top of that — if a week goes sideways, you do not have to wait for the next scheduled time. Most of it happens here at the clinic, and a phone call is an option when getting in is not realistic.
What gets written down
A note is generated after each encounter, the same as the rest of your care. If there is something you would rather was not written into the specifics, say so — we honor that.
Often used alongside
Related services
Not sure which fits? Call and we will talk it through — no referral or diagnosis needed first.
No. They are someone with lived experience of recovery, in a defined support role. Therapy is a separate service.
Mana’s peer supporters are certified peer support specialists. You would see one weekly, and as needed beyond that — at the clinic, or by phone when getting in is not realistic.
It is treated with care and not shared casually, and the boundaries are explained to you at the start. A note is generated after each encounter, as with the rest of your care — and if you ask for specifics to be left out of it, we honor that.
Yes — mention it when you call or tell your clinician or case manager.
Talk to us
Ask to speak with a peer supporter.
You do not need a diagnosis or a referral to ask. A short phone call is a normal way to find out whether this fits.
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:00 PM. In a crisis, call 911 or call or text 988.