Mental Health America (MHA) calls on states and communities to incorporate peer support into community-based mental health and substance use treatment services. Peer support programs provide an opportunity for communities of individuals who have significantly recovered from their illnesses to help others direct their own recoveries by teaching one another the skills necessary to lead meaningful lives in the community. Peer support services have demonstrated effective outcomes such as reduced isolation and increased empathic responses. Research has also shown that outcomes improve when individuals serve as peer specialists on care teams. Serving others also helps to sustain recovery.