The Power of Peer Support in Mental Health Recovery
“Before coming to Heartland, I struggled with shame, anger, and feeling stuck. That has all relaxed away. It was the socialization piece that really changed my life. Being around others like me was the catalyst.”
Like many people who come to Heartland, this member was looking for support. What they found was something even more meaningful: a community of people who understood, encouraged them, and helped them realize they weren’t alone.
Their story isn't unique.
For many of our members, it's the everyday conversations over coffee, encouragement from someone who has walked a similar path, and the feeling of truly belonging that become some of the most important parts of their recovery.
What Is Peer Support?
Peer support connects people who understand what it's like to face mental health challenges through their own lived experience. Unlike a traditional clinical relationship, peer support is built on shared experience, mutual understanding, and genuine connection.
Research shows that peer support can reduce feelings of isolation, increase hope, improve self-confidence, strengthen recovery, and increase engagement with mental health services. Studies have also found that peer support can improve quality of life and help reduce hospitalizations. While therapy and other mental health services each play an important role, peer support offers something only lived experience can provide: support from someone who truly understands.
Because of these benefits, peer support has become an increasingly important part of behavioral health care across the country. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognizes peer support as an evidence-based practice, and Mental Health America highlights research showing that people with lived experience can play a vital role in helping others navigate mental health recovery.
Did You Know?
At Heartland, people with lived experience are involved throughout the organization. Members help lead groups, serve on our Member Board of Directors, work as Peer Specialists and other staff roles, share their recovery stories through our Speakers’ Bureau, and help shape programs and activities.
We believe the voices of people with lived experience make our community stronger.
Colorado has also embraced peer support as part of its vision for behavioral health. The state has expanded access to peer services through Medicaid and continues to strengthen the peer workforce by supporting certification, training, and recovery-oriented services. Today, Behavioral Health Peer Support Professionals are recognized as valuable members of care teams who use their lived experience to help others build skills, navigate recovery, and improve their overall well-being. Learn more about Colorado's Peer Support Services.
For more than 35 years, Heartland has embraced this philosophy. Long before peer support became more widely recognized as an essential part of behavioral health care, Heartland was built on a simple belief: people with lived experience have wisdom, compassion, and gifts that strengthen our community.
Today, that philosophy continues to shape everything we do. You'll see it in our drop-in center, Speakers Bureau, Member Board of Directors, and Peer Employment Program, where people with lived experience help build the welcoming community that makes Heartland special.
Peer Support in Action at Heartland
At Heartland, peer support isn't simply one program among many. It's woven into everything we do.
We believe every member has something valuable to contribute, and every member helps make our community stronger.
Whether someone is welcoming a new member over coffee, leading a discussion group, serving as a Peer Specialist who draws on their own lived experience to support others, serving on the Member Board of Directors, speaking to community organizations, helping at the front desk, maintaining our building, or simply offering encouragement to someone having a difficult day, peers help shape the culture of Heartland every day.
At Heartland, members help shape the community. Their ideas, experiences, and feedback influence our programs, activities, leadership, and the future direction of the organization. Our approach reflects a growing understanding across the behavioral health field that recovery is strengthened when people with lived experience are trusted as leaders, mentors, employees, and partners in care. Recovery isn't something that happens for our members. It's something we build together.
How Peer Support Builds Recovery
Many people come to Heartland looking for support. What they often find is something even more meaningful: a community where they belong. One member shared:
“Before coming to Heartland, I struggled with shame, anger, and feeling stuck. That has all relaxed away. It was the socialization piece that really changed my life. Being around others like me was the catalyst.”
That experience is echoed by many of our members.
Some of the most meaningful moments happen outside a scheduled appointment. They happen over lunch, during a craft project, while laughing through a game like Bingo or Farkle, celebrating someone's success, or simply knowing someone is genuinely happy to see you.
Another member described what makes Heartland different, "There is no doctrine of, 'You should do this, or you should do that.' We have a say in our treatment that you don't get at most mental health clinics."
That sense of ownership and mutual respect empowers members to become active participants in their own recovery instead of passive recipients of services.
Peer Support Creates Leaders
As members grow in confidence, many choose to give back by supporting others.
One member who now speaks publicly about mental health said, "I love speaking about mental health. I see a need in the community for spreading the word about what positive mental health is."
Others find purpose through leadership opportunities, volunteering, serving on Heartland's boards, or participating in our Peer Employment Program.
At Heartland, we believe lived experience is an asset. Through our Peer Employment Program, members have opportunities to work in a variety of roles throughout the organization, including Peer Specialists, front desk staff, and custodial team members. These positions provide meaningful employment while allowing peers to use their unique experiences, strengths, and perspectives to help create the welcoming community that makes Heartland special.
"Being part of the Member Board and Peer Employment Team has helped me be more vocal and be part of something bigger than myself."
Many of the people welcoming you when you walk through our doors, answering your questions, helping keep our space inviting, or offering support have walked their own mental health journey. Their presence is a reminder that recovery is possible and that people can build meaningful, fulfilling lives while living with mental health challenges.
These opportunities don't just benefit the individual. They strengthen the entire community. As members grow in confidence, many discover that the experiences which once felt like obstacles can become one of their greatest strengths, allowing them to encourage, support, and inspire others.
Hear from One of Our Peer Specialists
At Heartland, peer support isn't just a philosophy. It's something our team lives every day.
Recently, Heartland Peer Specialist Jonathan Strauss joined Real Talk with Micah Smith to share his recovery journey. As a Peer Specialist, Jonathan uses his own lived experience with mental health challenges to provide encouragement, support, and hope to others on their recovery journey.
His story is a reminder that recovery is possible, hope is real, and no one has to face mental health challenges alone.
Watch Jonathan's interview below.
A Place Where You Belong
One of the most common things we hear from members is that they finally found a place where they feel accepted.
As one member put it:
"Heartland treats me like a person. I am more than my mental diagnosis."
Every person deserves to be known for who they are, not the challenges they've faced.
For decades Heartland has been a place where people find friendship, purpose, and opportunities to support one another. Whether someone comes through our doors looking for connection or hoping to give back, they discover what makes Heartland special: everyone has something to offer, and everyone belongs.
We'd Love to Welcome You
Whether you're looking for support, connection, or simply a place where you'll be welcomed as you are, we'd love to meet you.
Stop by during our Community Hours to meet people, enjoy a cup of coffee, or participate in one of our in house activities. You don't need to be a member to visit, though membership is required for groups and outings.
Interested in becoming a Heartland member? Joining is easy and free.
Community Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
12:00–4:00 pm
Questions or want to schedule a tour? Call Program Manager Carolyn Moreno at 303-830-8805, ext. 109.
Your first visit doesn't have to be a big step. Sometimes it's as simple as stopping in for coffee.