News Release

April 17, 2025 (Salt Lake City) – Peer support specialists are “individuals who use their lived experience in recovery from mental health and/or substance use disorder…to deliver services promoting recovery and resilience.” The Utah 2025 Peer Support Specialist Workforce Survey, conducted by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and Utah Peer Network, suggests ways to effectively engage peer support specialists as part of an integrated care team and help address retention, burnout, and turnover challenges.

“Peer support specialists play a foundational role in meeting Utah’s mental and behavioral health needs,” said Kara Byrne, senior health and human services analyst at the Gardner Institute. “They support and expand Utah’s current behavioral health workforce while improving access to community recovery. Understanding and responding to Utah’s peer support specialist training and workforce-related experiences can support their recruitment, training, and employment.”

Key findings from the survey include the following:

Barriers to employment – Approximately 75% of peer support specialist respondents experience at least one barrier to employment. Pay and benefits, passing a background check, and lack of experience are reported as the top barriers.

Satisfaction with training and application – The majority of participants were very or somewhat satisfied with the application process (92%). Similarly, 96% were very or somewhat satisfied with the certification training. Over 80% of participants who reported being certified indicated they felt adequately prepared for the peer specialist role after the initial 40-hour training program.

Burnout – Over a quarter of participants (31.9%) reported at least one symptom of burnout, with 8.1% experiencing symptoms of burnout that will not go away or at a point where they often wonder if they can go on.

Supervision and lived experience – Almost all participants (92.2%) agreed that it is important for their direct supervisor to be a peer support specialist or have lived experience.

Supportive working environment – The most common factors that create a positive and supportive working environment are (1) strong feelings of accomplishment, (2) a supportive work culture and environment, and (3) a skilled supervisor who understands their role and supports their work.

Stressful working environment – The most common factors that create a stressful or unhealthy working environment for peer support specialists are (1) pay that is not enough to meet their needs and (2) a toxic and stressful culture and work environment.

“We believe this survey is a meaningful step toward lasting change,” said Brayden Robinson, executive director of the Utah Peer Network. “By better understanding the needs of peer specialists in the workplace, organizations can strengthen their programs, reduce burnout and turnover, and improve service quality and access. With focused investment in Utah’s peer support workforce, we can address the behavioral health workforce shortage and ensure that every Utahn has access to the care they need.”

The complete survey results are now available online.

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