SAMHSA launched a national effort in 2015 to define the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for peer workers supporting people with mental health or substance use conditions. Through the BRSS TACS project, SAMHSA collaborated with diverse stakeholders and subject matter experts, gathered public feedback, and refined these inputs into a finalized set of Core Competencies intended for all forms of peer support across roles, settings, and populations. These competencies provide a foundational framework that may be expanded over time as peer support practices evolve and as new needs emerge in specific settings or communities.