True or False: As a Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS), it is okay for you to tell a person your opinion about their diagnosis.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. It depends

Answer: (B)

Boundaries and scope of practice guide this role: a CPSS provides support, listens, and helps with recovery, while respecting clinical boundaries. It is not appropriate for a CPSS to share personal opinions about someone’s diagnosis. Diagnoses come from clinicians through formal assessment, not from peer supporters. Your role is to validate the person’s lived experience, discuss how symptoms affect daily life, and help them engage with their treatment team, not to diagnose or judge the diagnosis itself.

If someone asks for your opinion on their diagnosis, you can acknowledge you don’t have that information or authority and pivot to supportive, useful assistance. For example, you might say you’re glad they shared what they’re going through, you’re there to support them in managing daily life, and you can help them prepare questions to discuss with their clinician. You can also offer coping strategies and help them identify resources, while keeping the focus on their recovery and empowerment.