When young people step into a community mental health agency in Massachusetts, they may soon find a new kind of service. In addition to licensed adult therapists, they may find another young adult who has struggled with mental health issues — and is willing and available to talk about it.
Through this peer support program — known as STAY, Success for Transition Age Youth and Young Adults — two peer mentors now work in each of eight community mental health agencies and will eventually be located in all 32 in the state.
“They’re authentic. They can speak from real experience,” said Ann Capoccia, the Department of Mental Health coordinator for interagency activities and leader of the STAY grant program.
“They have tremendous ability to connect. And they use social media in a way that’s really important.”
For the public health department, it’s a way to get more young adults ages 16 to 21 into treatment before their condition reaches a crisis. For the advocacy organization Youth M.O.V.E. National, it’s an approach that empowers young people to shape the mental health services they receive.
And it provides a route to employment for peer mentors — young people whose own mental health struggle has made it harder for them to get a job.
Stell Simonton
28 September 2015