Social Workers and Self-Help Services: Forging Positive Relationships.

Self-help and peer-provided services for mental health and addictions have grown rapidly in recent years. Many individuals who seek professional social work services are also involved in peer-provided recovery activities. Although many social workers have positive relationships with peer-provided organizations in their communities, there is a need for social workers to increase their understanding of the goals and principles of peer-provided services, so that collaborative relationships can be established. This article provides an overview of several kinds of self-help and peer-provided services, detailing the ways in which these services can be helpful and outlining how social workers can work more closely in partnership with peer providers.