Tar Heel Footprints in Health Care

As a certified peer support specialist with SouthLight Healthcare, Sean McHugh is not making appointments with clients to meet him in his office; he is out in the community, sometimes leaving his home at 5:30 a.m. to find clients who are experiencing homelessness or do not have access to a phone. This practice of engaging with clients in the community is what McHugh says he enjoys most about his work. “People can tell you one thing over the phone or in an office, but when you go and witness what they are going through, you are able to connect with them on an entirely new level.” Peer support specialists are individuals who have been in recovery from a significant mental health or substance use disorder for at least one year before becoming certified through North Carolina's Peer Support Specialist Certification Program. Because of their lived experience, peer support specialists like McHugh have a unique ability to promote others' recovery. McHugh works with 6 to 7 clients at a time for up to one year, spending anywhere from 3 to 12 hours per week one-on-one with each client depending on the needs of the individual. In this role, McHugh largely serves as a model of self-advocacy, demonstrating recovery oriented attitudes and actions, as well as teaching functional skills that will help clients with self-determination. Accompanying clients to appointments, referring them to other community services, and assisting them with decision-making, McHugh helps them navigate complex service systems and reduces the fear many…