Mental Health and Substance Use Diagnosis Background (Core Competencies: 1.1; 1.11; 2.2; 2.9; 2.10; 3.7) Certified peer specialists support people with a wide range of lived experience. Because many peers have received a mental health or substance use diagnosis, a certified peer specialist core competency is to have knowledge of mental health and substance use disorders and their impact on recovery. The purpose of this background is to prepare certified peer specialists to provide peer support within health care systems that are often based on the medical model. It is important to be able to compare the medical model and peer support approaches. After the background, the implications for peer support are discussed. The medical model features assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to reduce symptoms. Diagnosis serves to categorize human experiences of distress that can then be treated. Diagnosis is often required for treatment service reimbursement. Diagnostic categories are created by the American Psychiatric Association and published in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” This manual is used by psychiatrists and mental health clinicians to make a diagnosis based on an assessment of problem symptoms. Consider the following perspectives on diagnosis from the medical model and peer support:
157
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online