Peer Support Groups exist to offer help for pre-clinical conditions and for conditions where professionally trained clinicians are not readily available or not available at a sufficient level of service to provided a desired level of personal relief. Peer Support is not a substitute for professional care, and different peer support groups provide different levels of satisfaction for any individual’s unique situation.
Peer Support is provided in face-to-face groups, in online groups, and in hybrid settings. Individuals seeking peer support are faced with the same challenge that they would face seeing professional help: there is uncertainty about the comfort and quality of interpersonal interactions (issues of cost and scheduling notwithstanding).
Online support can be a great way to navigate to face-to-face support groups where long-term supportive relationships can develop. Individuals who are new to peer support as a resource may not appreciate the value or even the need for long-term supportive relationships for managing anxiety, so there is an added barrier related to second guessing one’s own sense of need.
The first step is the most difficult step. Try out a few groups. The cost for trying a virtual group can be a little as the investment of one’s own time. Two online support resources to consider exploring include www.ShareWellNow.com and TheSunWillRise.org.
Blue Skies RI engages in anxiety management and grief support groups operating in person through the East Bay Recovery Center located in Warren, Rhode Island.
Family support may enhance the effectiveness of peer support. Helping Families Help and Allies in Recovery and organizations like the Partnership to End Addiction offer training materials (pending availability of funds). REST offers resources, online help, and local chapters for face to face connections.
Rhode Island Communities for Addiction Recovery Efforts is a clearinghouse for resources, and Prevent Overdose RI points toward local support groups. Nearby, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers peer support for families dealing with addiction and recovery through Learn to Cope.
The Rhode Island Department of Health adds the following:
“Peer support services are provided by individuals who have had similar life experiences. Counseling services provide formal treatment from a behavioral health professional. Please note that this list of resources does not include every resource available and that the availability of services may vary. Some counseling services may require a fee.
PEER SUPPORT
- Rhode Island Family Task Force
Laurie MacDougall 860-952-4966 or Ana Bess Moyer Bell 401-598-6061 familytaskforce.org - Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP) grasphelp.org
- Support After a Death by Overdose (SADOD) sadod.org
- Team Sharing teamsharinginc.org
- The Sun Will Rise Foundation thesunwillrise.org
- What’s Your Grief? whatsyourgrief.com
FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS - Friend’s Way (ages 3 – 18) 401-921-0980
(Ext. 1 for Ryan or Ext. 2 for Molly) friendsway.org