Culturally informed peer support Providing peer support that is culturally informed will be unique to each person with whom the certified peer specialist is working. Some general guidelines for providing effective, culturally informed peer support include: • Meeting each person where they are at, challenging your own assumptions and biases. • Using open questions to explore each person’s outlook and experiences around power and privilege. • Validating a person’s experience with transparency, do not challenge their lived experience. • Taking time to learn about a person’s culture and background. • Exploring all resources, including natural and culturally appropriate supports within the peer’s community that are accessible for them to support their recovery. • Staying accountable. Respond with validation, a genuine apology, and making changes when called out for engaging in hurtful behavior, whether intentional or unintentional. • Advocating for inclusive, culturally informed policies at places of employment and holding both employers, other service providers, and themselves accountable for implementing change. • Recognizing that the intent behind what a certified peer specialist says or does may not match with the impact it has on to the person with whom they are interacting with.
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