UMass Medical School — Statewide Community Services Peer-Support Specialists

Project Goal
Develop training to support people with developmental disabilities (DD) who want to become peer-support specialists and serve as mentors for other people with DD.

Project Summary
Through in-person and online training, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is connecting people with DD with peer-support specialists. The specialists are trained as mentors to develop leadership, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. The project supports participants through training related to employment, independent living, and self-esteem.

In-person training is coordinated in partnership with Texas Advocates. The project’s online training is conducted through a web-based platform that provides accessible educational content. The project’s activities also include developing a training curriculum to be made available online for use in other locations both in Texas and in other states.