A consumer reports feeling lonely and asks the Peer Support Specialist for connections in the community. How would the Peer Support Specialist assist the consumer?

• A. Encourage the consumer to join alone.
• B. Share the PSP's story about meeting new people with the consumer.
• C. Give the PSP's view about the strengths of being on their own to the consumer.
• D. Allow the consumer to hang out with the PSP's friends over the weekend.

Answer: (B)

Building social connection is helped most when a peer uses their own lived experience to illustrate possibilities and offer a relatable example. Sharing a personal story about how you met new people shows the consumer that connecting in the community is doable and provides a concrete, real-life path they can try. It validates the loneliness the person feels, offers hope, and demonstrates practical steps without pressuring or taking over their choices. This approach also respects boundaries and keeps the focus on empowering the consumer to take their own next steps in a way that feels comfortable for them. Other options fall short because they either push the consumer to act without modeling support, emphasize the peer’s own preference for being alone, or cross professional boundaries by introducing the peer’s social circle.