APS Scientific and Research Community - Members

Thank you for your interest in serving on the APS Scientific and Research Community.

The APS Scientific and Research Community is made up of individuals who are engaged in research, evaluation, or other forms of scholarship related to peer support. This includes empirical research as well as conceptual or theoretical work that advances understanding of peer support policy, programs, or practice. Community members must have published their work in peer-reviewed or non-peer-reviewed outlets—such as journals, blogs, newsletters, or other dissemination platforms—or may be actively involved in peer support research or scholarship with plans to share or publish their work. This includes students and trainees in academic or graduate programs.

Community members support the mission of the Association for Peer Support (APS) by promoting, advancing, and sharing scientific and scholarly knowledge related to peer support practices. The community helps strengthen the credibility of peer support as an essential component of healthcare while advancing an evidence base that reflects the core values of mutuality, lived experience, and peer-led practice. The community is intended to function as a virtual community where peer support scholars can connect, exchange and share information and ideas, and support the growth of knowledge in the field. It is inclusive and welcoming to all individuals engaged in peer support scholarship and is not limited to those with research funding, academic appointments, or traditional publication records.

The community is open to anyone internationally, will not have formal leadership roles (such as Chair or Co-Chair), and does not require attendance at meetings or impose specific time commitments. Members are encouraged to join APS but it is not a requirement.

Community membership will involve:

• Being listed as a community member along with your organizational or academic affiliation on the APS website and elsewhere;
• Participation in a listserv through which APS leadership and members may request information or research findings that you may choose to respond to;
• The ability to use the listserv to ask questions, share resources, or suggest community activities; and
• Opportunities to organize voluntary activities, such as quarterly Peer Support Research and Scholarship conversations.