One of the key principles of the peer movement is the drive for social justice. As we enter the early days of summer in the month of June, there are three significant reminders of the importance of social justice: Pride, Juneteenth, and Flag Day. June is Pride Month, commemorating the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 and affirming and celebrating the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Juneteenth is June 19, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States when the fina

Peer support is built on lived experience, trust, and connection. When people feel understood, outcomes begin to shift. Research shows that peer support is associated with reduced hospitalizations, stronger engagement in services, and improved recovery outcomes—while also supporting something less measurable but just as important: a sense of belonging, hope, and possibility.

An early “influencer” for me was Henri Nouwen, a priest who spent the last 10 years of his life at L’Arche Daybreak in Ontario, Canada before dying in 1996. Among his many good deeds, he wrote extensively and authored more than 40 books, I own 18 of them. In one of his books, he writes about hospitality and its purpose. “Hospitality , therefore, means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend […]. Hospitality is not to change p

A tribute to Indigenous voices whose stories and teachings continue to illuminate the path toward balance, connection, and healing.