Peer Support Groups That Focus on Social Change

Most peer support groups focus on supporting the individuals who attend, but for some organizations, that support includes helping them push for changes in society – changes to some of the factors that have created problems and stressors for them.   The inclusion of advocacy in peer support groups has the advantage of helping members feel that they are contributing to the reduction in risk that other people will experience the same problems, for some the same trauma, that they experienced.  It also helps member re-discover their own power as advocates which helps change the impact of being a victim.

 One of the oldest examples of this is Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  MADD started in 1980 as an advocacy group that eventually included support groups.  Its members meet to support each other, but that support includes a clear focus on advocacy with all levels of government and with other non-profit and for-profit entities.  Their stated goal is to “to end drugged and drunk driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking”.  They do not list their groups in a national directory, but you can check with your local chapter.

 Parents Families and Friends of, and Allies United with LGBTQ People (PFLAG) claims to be the largest non-profit organization in the United States committed to advancing equality and full societal affirmation of LGBTQ people.  PFLAG has over 400 chapters, many of which appear to function as support and advocacy groups.

 Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) provides a small but growing directory of support groups for transgender Veterans, providing social support, practical information and advocacy for the challenges faced by this group.

 There is a large array of support groups for people seeking to address spiritual and religious issues.  While these include religiously based groups for spiritual growth and development, they also include organizations like Recovering From Religion, which supports a network of face-to-face and virtual support groups for those leaving religion.  Recovering From Religion seeks to provide “hope, healing and support for those who’ve been harmed by religion.”  They seek to increase the open discussion about the dangers of religion and religious organizations.

Racists Anonymous is relatively new 12-step organization that seeks to address racism.  RA’s approach to confronting racism is “centered in a community conversation and focused on personal change”.  Using peer support groups, they seek to create opportunities for members to learn “from one another and assessing our own behavior, we become intensely mindful about the ways we perpetuate racism or bigotry in any form.”  RA uses the 12 Steps to serve as a tool for healing and personal and community change.

  There is a growing network of local peer support groups organized to help Homeless and Economically Disadvantaged adults rebuild their lives by helping them, discover and use available resources, deal with the psychological challenges associated with homelessness and economic stress, and build a better network of community supports.  These are almost entirely local, but worth looking into for appropriate clients.

 Underearners Anonymous (UA) is a 12-step organization that focuses on what they refer to as “underearning”.  They state that “underearning is many things, not all of which are about money. Underearning is about underachieving, or under-being, no matter how much money we make. It is about the inability to fully acknowledge and express our capabilities and competencies. The visible consequence is the inability to provide for one’s needs, including future needs.”  UA is fairly new and has a small network of face-to-face and online groups in the US.

Support groups that include a major focus on social change are a clear growth edge for the field of peer support.  There is clearly a great deal of discontent with various aspects of modern society.  The power of peer support groups to help people change their lives points to the potential of peer support groups as a means of helping people change their communities.  Keep an eye on this emerging movement and consider if there is a place for you to become involved to support these efforts.

NOTE: You can find links to these groups at https://www.charlesdrebing.com/peersupportgroupdirectories.