Welcome to Hope Peer Support

What is a Peer Support Professional?

A Peer Support Professional (PSP) is someone with lived experience, having lived through and recovered from many of the same challenges your loved one is facing. A PSP uses these very personal experiences to support those who are still facing challenges such as addiction, mental health disorders or generally struggling through any stage of recovery.

While PSPs are not clinicians, they are part of a clinical team. PSPs bridge the gap between formal clinical education and theory and the fundamental struggle of the individual. Supporting your loved one takes a certain kind of relatability that can only be acquired and understood by someone who has had the same experiences. As a PSP, we walk with your loved one through the recovery process, not as an “expert” but as a peer.

At H.O.P.E we are guided by the five core competencies derived from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration (SAMSA):

  1. Recovery oriented:

    Peer professionals hold out hope to those they serve, partnering with them to envision and achieve a meaningful and purposeful life.

  2. Person-centered:

    At H.O.P.E we are directed by the person participating in services. Peer recovery support is personalized to align with the specific hopes, goals, and preferences of the individual served and to respond to specific needs the individuals has identified to the peer professional.

  3. Voluntary:

    At H.O.P.E we are partners to those we serve. We DO NOT dictate the types of services provided or the elements of recovery plans that will guide their work with peers. Participation in peer support is always contingent on peer choice.

  4. Relationship focused:

    The relationship between the peer mentor and the peer is the foundation on which peer recovery support services and support are provided. The relationship between the peer professional and peer is respectful, trusting, empathic, collaborative, and mutual.

  5. Trauma-informed:

    Peer support utilizes a strength- based framework that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety and creates opportunities to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.

A MESSAGE FROM FOUNDER OF H.O.P.E

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Hello, and thank you for visiting. My name is Thurman Williams, founder and director of H.O.P.E. Peer Support Foundation. My recovery began after a life-changing psychiatric hospitalization, where I was shown compassion, understanding, and the belief that healing was possible. Through a community-based mental health program, I began therapy, learned coping skills, and began taking responsibility for my recovery, changing my behaviours, and rebuilding my life.

Peer support became a turning point for me. Having someone who had been there before gave me hope and changed everything. That experience led me to dedicate my life to walking alongside others on their recovery journeys. For over a decade, I have served communities across California as a peer support specialist, and I remain deeply committed to helping others reclaim hope and build the lives they deserve.

MISSION STATEMENT

H.O.P.E provides peer support to individuals living with mental illness and or substance use disorders, with a focus on serving those who are unhoused, uninsured, or navigating the behavioral health care system. Drawing on lived experience, our peer support specialists walk alongside members to demonstrate that recovery is possible.

Through nonjudgmental, voluntary, and member-centered one-on-one support, we help members build coping skills, feel heard, access resources, and receive practical assistance, including employment support, transportation, and connection to care. We believe in empowerment, dignity, and meeting people where they are.

Our mission is to build trust within the community by offering free services that create real, measurable impact and support lasting recovery.