Reciprocal peer support (RPS): a decade of not so random acts of kindness.

Abstract

A model entitled "reciprocal peer support" (RPS) is introduced in this article to describe the peer support activity provided at University Behavioral HealthCare-University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in a variety of peer programs. More than 10 years of peer support have been developed, reviewed, and assessed by this writer in an attempt to clarify the "lessons learned" and encourage RPS as an effective approach to peer support service in the future. The Cop 2 Cop, NJ Vet 2 Vet, and several other UBHC peer support programs, which conform to "best practices" criteria, have been sustained and expanded based on the RSP principles discussed in this article.