This overview of peer counseling and self-help groups in contemporary higher education examines current practices and offers recommendations for program development. Section I looks at the historical background and current context of campus peer counseling and social support programs; types and functions of self-help groups; student paraprofessionals and peer counselors; and trends in academic advising, residence hall programs, and other social support approaches. Section II looks at peer training, offering information on curricula and workshops that have been developed to train social support leaders or peer counselors in leadership, confrontation, conflict resolution, and alcohol and drug abuse counseling. Section II also reviews research on the efficacy of social support on campus and provides descriptions of alternative approaches to evaluation. Section III draws upon research on and theories of the psychological, social, and intellectual development of college students to provide program development guidelines, covering planning; assessment and needs; goals and objectives; recruitment, selection, training, supervision, compensation, and evaluation of peer counselors; and ethics and standards. Finally, Section IV examines trends and directions in campus programs; it consists of five essays dealing respectively with ethical issues, paraprofessional academic programs, collaborative learning, peer mentoring as a student retention strategy, and campus ministry. (EJV)