Access to consistent, coordinated schizophrenia care remains out of reach for many, even though the serious mental illness (SMI) affects nearly 3 million people in the U.S. The problem? Fragmented care, limited local resources and cost issues to financial barriers that make finding timely and ongoing treatment difficult.
Common symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and social withdrawal. As a result, many people with schizophrenia face recurring hospitalizations and crises that can lead to homelessness, exposure to violence, substance use and significant disruptions in daily life. Subsequently, those challenges often result in difficulty maintaining employment or increased social isolation.
However, a growing body of evidence points to a powerful, underutilized solution to help people living with schizophrenia: peer support.
Why Traditional Therapies Haven’t Been Enough
Traditional clinical therapies are essential, but they don’t fully address the long‑term, day‑to‑day needs of people living with schizophrenia. For example:
- Complex or fragmented care systems with limited coordination and long wait times make accessing and sustaining care difficult.
- Consistent community support and trusting relationships are often in short supply.
- Social isolation can disrupt recovery and stability.
- Stigma can discourage help‑seeking and ongoing engagement in treatment.
These challenges often leave people without the practical, relational and consistent support they need to stay engaged in treatment, manage symptoms and maintain stability. Peer support can fill the gaps, offering a complementary approach that strengthens engagement, continuity and person‑centered schizophrenia care.
New Whitepaper: Strengthen Schizophrenia Care with Peer Support
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) are collaborating on initiatives to enhance the care for individuals with serious mental illnesses, including schizophrenia. Together they developed Advancing Person‑centered Care: Peer Support in Schizophrenia Care in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. The whitepaper offers guidance for behavioral health organizations, health care professionals and clinicians on innovative practices for developing and providing behavioral peer support services for people living with schizophrenia.
Download the Whitepaper
“Improving outcomes for people living with schizophrenia requires more holistic strategies to build a supportive, connected care ecosystem that promotes long-term recovery,” said Andrew Whitehead, Vice President and Head of Population Health at BMS. “Peer support programs delivered by individuals with lived experience offer an evidence-based approach to bridging gaps in care.”
What Is Peer Support and Why Does It Work?
Peer support programs are nonclinical, recovery-oriented mental health care services delivered by individuals who have personal experience with mental health or substance use challenges. These trained professionals, often called peer support workers (PSWs), peer support professionals or peer support specialists, leverage their personal journeys to provide emotional support, practical guidance and hope.
Research and real‑world implementation show that peer support can:
- Improve engagement and trust.
- Increase treatment retention.
- Strengthen clinical outcomes.
- Reduce feelings of isolation.
- Build a more connected, holistic care ecosystem.
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) across the country are already demonstrating how the inclusion of PSWs in care teams can truly make a positive difference.
“People living with schizophrenia benefit most from a person-centered, empathic and connected care ecosystem — one that values lived experience, trust and hope,” said Nicole Tierney, a certified peer recovery specialist and certified recovery support practitioner at CPC Integrated Health in Eatontown, New Jersey. “This groundbreaking new white paper not only provides clear evidence that peer support programs achieve that, it also details the steps CCBHCs and other clinics can take to integrate peer support and enhance the experiences of people living with schizophrenia.”
CCBHCs integrating PSWs are making great strides in improving health for people living with schizophrenia. Among those monitoring emergency and hospital visits, 47% have seen fewer visits and 37% have maintained stable usage, even as caseloads grow. These encouraging results highlight CCBHCs’ success in helping people transition from intensive hospital care to supportive, community-based programs.
Four Steps for Expanding Peer Support
Despite its benefits, peer support remains inconsistently integrated into schizophrenia care. Many individuals with schizophrenia still struggle to access these services due to:
- Fragmented care systems.
- Limited awareness of peer support availability.
- Inconsistent role definitions.
- Workforce shortages and uneven training standards.
The result is missed opportunities to provide people living with schizophrenia the kind of relational, person‑centered support that can help sustain long‑term recovery.
The National Council and BMS support the scaling of peer support services nationwide for all individuals, especially those living with schizophrenia or other SMIs. To unlock the full potential of peer support care, the whitepaper outlines several actionable steps, including:
- Clearly define PSW roles and responsibilities. Integrate peer workers into clinical workflows as essential members of the care team, not optional add‑ons.
- Invest in workforce development. Provide robust training, ongoing supervision and fair compensation to build a strong, sustainable peer workforce.
- Increase visibility and access. Make peer support easy to find through proactive outreach, education and streamlined referral pathways.
- Measure what matters. Use role‑appropriate metrics, paired with qualitative stories, to track impact and guide continuous improvement.
Dive Deeper: Download the Whitepaper
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Peer support is much more than a complementary service. It’s a proven, human‑centered approach that strengthens engagement, improves outcomes and helps people living with schizophrenia feel seen, supported and connected. With clearer standards, stronger investment and program expansion, peer support can become a cornerstone of a more compassionate and effective health ecosystem for people living with schizophrenia.
Learn more about this topic, our findings and recommendations by reading Advancing Person‑centered Care: Peer Support in Schizophrenia Care in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
Go Deeper at NatCon!
Want to learn more about peer support care and SMI? Join us at NatCon for “Trust, Connection and Continuity: The Opportunity of Peer Support in Care for People with SMI” on April 27.
