Affirmation ( O A RS ) Skill Description (Core Competencies: 1.3; 2.7; 2.8; 4.1; 4.6; 4.7; 4.9) Certified peer specialists are strengths-based. This means certified peer specialists actively look for the strengths, positive attributes, and prior successes with recovery. Affirmation best practices: • Affirmation is specific about a peer’s strength, positive attribute, or prior success. The certified peer specialist must identify the specific strength, attribute, or success. • Affirmation is genuine and comes from the heart. • Affirmation is about the peer. It is expressed as a “you” statement (not “I” statement).
Examples of skillful affirmation: • Thank you for your honesty. • Thank you for taking a risk and sharing.
• You are being very thoughtful in the way you are handling this situation. • With all that you have been through, you have such strong determination. • You are incredibly brave for continuing to show up. • You are a resilient person to have overcome so many of life's obstacles. Affirmation is not expressing approval, agreement, cheerleading, or providing nonspecific praise. The following statements may sound nice, but each falls short of a skillful affirmation. What does each statement lack? (See best practices above.) • That is great. • That is wonderful. • Great job!
• I knew you could do it! • Keep up the good work. • I am proud of you.
While there is good intention behind each of these statements, skillful affirmation goes beyond intention to have positive impact on peer support. Positive impact is more likely to happen when an affirmation is specific, genuine, and meaningful.
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