Role-modeling healthy behavior: peer counseling for pregnant and postpartum women in recovery

The utilization of paraprofessional peer counselors for pregnant and postpartum women in recovery represents a nonthreatening and innovative departure from conventional medical and social service models. However, it must be acknowledged that these are women in recovery confronting the same daily stresses as their clients. In essence, they require the same social support services as their clients. Therefore, program planners must be reminded to build in the necessary social support systems for them at the outset. The rewards in terms of the peer counselors' capacity to engage and retain women with whom they can identify and help is well worth the investment. As a consequence of extensive community outreach and supportive activities undertaken by peer counselors, barriers to client receptivity may be removed, greater compliance and service utilization will be achieved, and the potential for successful recovery will be enhanced.