Peer Support Advocacy Needed

by Jim Hajny, Executive Director

October 14, 2025

As we head into the last quarter of 2025. There are ample opportunities to advocate for peer support. The Montana legislature wrapped up in the spring after passing the Family Peer Support certification bill. MPN and our sister organization Family Peers for Hope worked hard on rule recommendations to the Board of Behavioral Health. We expect the public comment period to open any time now with proposed rules for certification of Family Peer Supporters. This provides us with a platform for advocacy and shaping of the new profession. In the Senate, yes, we know the Federal Government is in shutdown mode, but when they return before they go back on vacation for the winter break Senate Bill 1132 includes a provision for family peer support as a service for family caregivers. This needs advocacy to further develop family support.

The PEER Act, Senate Bill 1329 which we wrote about back in the spring has not had any movement since April. This needs our voice, and I encourage every peer support specialist to get behind this effort to fund training and support for the peer support workforce in all 50 states. National certification has been part of the recovery movement for nearly ten years, this would be a piece of that effort to standardize the profession through definition and training. As it stands, each state has their own definition, rules and training requirements. This means a lot of statewide advocacy that is repeated over again in each state. Rather than a common definition which includes terms such as “lived experience” or “long term stable recovery” rather than allowing lobbyists in each state to dilute the definition of what a peer supporter is and does. Yes, this is currently happening here in Montana. The PEER Act would tie together the peer support workforce across the nation by requiring the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to add an occupational category for peer support specialists to the Standard Occupational Classification system by January 1, 2026. This further legally protects the profession from freeloaders.

For more than a decade the Veterans Administration has listed peer support as one of its tenants, yet it lacks funding to support peer services. House bill 438 PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act calls for the VA to establish a grant program for mental health peer to peer support programs across the nation. Awardees would be required to offer both group and individual veteran peer support 24/7 and would only be staffed by veteran peer supporters. The funding request is $25 million over three years. One thing I really like about this bill is the requirement of veteran status for the peer supporter. I have discovered that some veteran organizations don’t require this. They will often have a mix of veterans and non-veterans.

The final bill worth mentioning is not directly aimed at peer support services but is related. House Bill 1448 PEER Mental Health Act of 2025 seeks to continue funding to schools to train students, teachers and parents on how to support students in mental health crisis utilizing Mental Health First Aid. I am not a huge fan of MHFA, it is a fine model, but very basic in my opinion. Our mental health system itself is in crisis mode and we need more robust approach such as eCPR from the National Coalition on Mental Health or ASIST. That said mental health first aid is popular because of its ease and is typically supported financially.

During the federal government shutdown, it may be a good time to email, write letters, or call your representatives and let them know how important peer support can be in the life of someone who is struggling. When contacting one of their offices you will more than likely get one of their staffers. They are typically good listeners and there to serve Montanans. Here are your elected officials from Montana.