The Peer Organization Growth Academy (POGA) was a one-time training that offered a curriculum of topics
to support the capacity building of peer-run organizations. Importantly, POGA emphasized the core values of
peer support and the importance of peer and recovery culture in all the topics.
There are frequent references to peers, peerness, peer leaders, and peer-run organizations and programs.
For the purposes of this document, “peer” refers to the people involved in POGA who have lived mental
health, substance use, or family partner experiences (i.e., lived experience). “Peerness” refers to their
engagement in this project through the lens of the core peer support values.
Peers includes people trained and/or certified as peer support specialists. For example:
- Family Partners,
- Mental Health Peer Specialists,
- Recovery Support Peer Specialists,
- Peer Recovery Support Specialists, and
- Peer Specialist Supervisors
“Peer leaders” refers to the POGA trainers and mentors who have lived experience and are trained peer
support specialists. Peer leaders developed POGA for peer-run organizations and programs. People with lived
experiences manage and govern these organizations and programs, and the work is guided by peer values.
Some of the peer leaders are directors of peer-run organizations. Others work in different spaces but identify
as peer support specialists and their work is guided by peer values.
This document is comprised of five sections that attempt to capture and describe POGA from its beginnings to its completion.