title: [Peer specialist: origins, pitfalls and worldwide dissemination].
abstract: This article reviews the origins, outcomes and implementation issues pertaining to the hiring of former psychiatric patients into paid Peer Specialist positions within mental health services. The term Peer Specialists, unlike various other job titles used for ex-psychiatric patients working in the mental health field, stands out as a unique qualifier that emphasizes the special knowledge such workers have acquired from experiencing serious personal crises and being involved in mental health services. The cautiously positive results of early studies are supplemented by replications of various quality and results. Further work has revealed a number of problematic issues, which will also be discussed here.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York. pestastny@yahoo.com.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Stastny
authors: Celia
authors: C
authors: Brown
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010379:Peer Group; D013038:Specialization