What is one major role of peer recovery support?

• A. Provide counseling
• B. Serve as an advocate
• C. Provide healthcare advice
• D. Serve as a sponsor

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that peer recovery supporters use their lived experience to help individuals navigate services and have their voice heard in decisions about their care. The main role is advocating for the person—assisting with access to resources, guiding them through complex systems (like housing, benefits, and treatment options), and ensuring their preferences and rights are centered in planning and services. This advocacy helps remove barriers and supports empowerment and self-direction in recovery.

Counseling is typically a clinical function provided by trained professionals, not a primary role for peers. Providing healthcare advice goes beyond what peers are equipped to offer and can blur boundaries between support and medical guidance. Sponsoring appears in certain self-help contexts, but it is not the universal or defining feature of peer recovery support; peers may connect with sponsors in those settings, but advocacy remains the central, defining role in formal peer recovery support.