diff --git a/app/commands.py b/app/commands.py
index e36657812..6f195a84b 100644
--- a/app/commands.py
+++ b/app/commands.py
@@ -238,7 +238,8 @@ def rebuild_ft_billing_for_day(service_id, day):
     "-a",
     "--auth_type",
     required=False,
-    help="The authentication type for the user, AuthType.SMS or AuthType.EMAIL. Defaults to AuthType.SMS if not provided",
+    help="The authentication type for the user, AuthType.SMS or AuthType.EMAIL. "
+    "Defaults to AuthType.SMS if not provided",
 )
 @click.option(
     "-p", "--permissions", required=True, help="Comma separated list of permissions."
diff --git a/app/enums.py b/app/enums.py
index 74d6a2100..3dbb594f0 100644
--- a/app/enums.py
+++ b/app/enums.py
@@ -1,42 +1,42 @@
-from enum import Enum
+from strenum import StrEnum
 
 
-class TemplateType(Enum):
+class TemplateType(StrEnum):
     SMS = "sms"
     EMAIL = "email"
     LETTER = "letter"
 
 
-class NotificationType(Enum):
+class NotificationType(StrEnum):
     SMS = "sms"
     EMAIL = "email"
     LETTER = "letter"
 
 
-class TemplateProcessType(Enum):
+class TemplateProcessType(StrEnum):
     # TODO: Should Template.process_type be changed to use this?
     NORMAL = "normal"
     PRIORITY = "priority"
 
 
-class AuthType(Enum):
+class AuthType(StrEnum):
     SMS = "sms_auth"
     EMAIL = "email_auth"
     WEBAUTHN = "webauthn_auth"
 
 
-class CallbackType(Enum):
+class CallbackType(StrEnum):
     DELIVERY_STATUS = "delivery_status"
     COMPLAINT = "complaint"
 
 
-class OrganizationType(Enum):
+class OrganizationType(StrEnum):
     FEDERAL = "federal"
     STATE = "state"
     OTHER = "other"
 
 
-class NotificationStatus(Enum):
+class NotificationStatus(StrEnum):
     CANCELLED = "cancelled"
     CREATED = "created"
     SENDING = "sending"
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class NotificationStatus(Enum):
     VIRUS_SCAN_FAILED = "virus-scan-failed"
 
     @classmethod
-    def failed_types(cls) -> tuple["NotificationStatus", ...]:
+    def failed_types(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (
             cls.TECHNICAL_FAILURE,
             cls.TEMPORARY_FAILURE,
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class NotificationStatus(Enum):
         )
 
     @classmethod
-    def completed_types(cls) -> tuple["NotificationStatus", ...]:
+    def completed_types(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (
             cls.SENT,
             cls.DELIVERED,
@@ -74,11 +74,11 @@ class NotificationStatus(Enum):
         )
 
     @classmethod
-    def success_types(cls) -> tuple["NotificationStatus", ...]:
+    def success_types(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (cls.SENT, cls.DELIVERED)
 
     @classmethod
-    def billable_types(cls) -> tuple["NotificationStatus", ...]:
+    def billable_types(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (
             cls.SENDING,
             cls.SENT,
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class NotificationStatus(Enum):
         )
 
     @classmethod
-    def billable_sms_types(cls) -> tuple["NotificationStatus", ...]:
+    def billable_sms_types(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (
             cls.SENDING,
             cls.SENT,  # internationally
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class NotificationStatus(Enum):
         )
 
     @classmethod
-    def sent_email_types(cls) -> tuple["NotificationStatus", ...]:
+    def sent_email_types(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (
             cls.SENDING,
             cls.DELIVERED,
@@ -110,11 +110,11 @@ class NotificationStatus(Enum):
         )
 
     @classmethod
-    def non_billable_types(cls) -> tuple["NotificationStatus", ...]:
-        return tuple({i for i in cls} - set(cls.billable_types()))
+    def non_billable_types(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
+        return tuple(set(cls) - set(cls.billable_types()))
 
 
-class PermissionType(Enum):
+class PermissionType(StrEnum):
     MANAGE_USERS = "manage_users"
     MANAGE_TEMPLATES = "manage_templates"
     MANAGE_SETTINGS = "manage_settings"
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class PermissionType(Enum):
     VIEW_ACTIVITY = "view_activity"
 
     @classmethod
-    def defaults(cls) -> tuple["PermissionType", ...]:
+    def defaults(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (
             cls.MANAGE_USERS,
             cls.MANAGE_TEMPLATES,
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class PermissionType(Enum):
         )
 
 
-class ServicePermissionType(Enum):
+class ServicePermissionType(StrEnum):
     EMAIL = "email"
     SMS = "sms"
     INTERNATIONAL_SMS = "international_sms"
@@ -147,9 +147,8 @@ class ServicePermissionType(Enum):
     UPLOAD_DOCUMENT = "upload_document"
     EDIT_FOLDER_PERMISSIONS = "edit_folder_permissions"
 
-    @property
-    def defaults(self) -> tuple["ServicePermissionType", ...]:
-        cls = type(self)
+    @classmethod
+    def defaults(cls) -> tuple[str, ...]:
         return (
             cls.SMS,
             cls.EMAIL,
@@ -157,18 +156,18 @@ class ServicePermissionType(Enum):
         )
 
 
-class RecipientType(Enum):
+class RecipientType(StrEnum):
     MOBILE = "mobile"
     EMAIL = "email"
 
 
-class KeyType(Enum):
+class KeyType(StrEnum):
     NORMAL = "normal"
     TEAM = "team"
     TEST = "test"
 
 
-class JobStatus(Enum):
+class JobStatus(StrEnum):
     PENDING = "pending"
     IN_PROGRESS = "in progress"
     FINISHED = "finished"
@@ -180,29 +179,29 @@ class JobStatus(Enum):
     ERROR = "error"
 
 
-class InvitedUserStatus(Enum):
+class InvitedUserStatus(StrEnum):
     PENDING = "pending"
     ACCEPTED = "accepted"
     CANCELLED = "cancelled"
     EXPIRED = "expired"
 
 
-class BrandType(Enum):
+class BrandType(StrEnum):
     ORG = "org"
     BOTH = "both"
     ORG_BANNER = "org_banner"
 
 
-class CodeType(Enum):
+class CodeType(StrEnum):
     EMAIL = "email"
     SMS = "sms"
 
 
-class AgreementType(Enum):
+class AgreementType(StrEnum):
     MOU = "MOU"
     IAA = "IAA"
 
 
-class AgreementStatus(Enum):
+class AgreementStatus(StrEnum):
     ACTIVE = "active"
     EXPIRED = "expired"
diff --git a/app/models.py b/app/models.py
index 8144bc873..6f7dec296 100644
--- a/app/models.py
+++ b/app/models.py
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ _enum_column_names = {
 def enum_column(enum_type, **kwargs):
     return db.Column(
         db.Enum(
-            *[i.value for i in enum_type],
+            *[i for i in enum_type],
             name=_enum_column_names[enum_type],
-            values_callable=(lambda x: [i.value for i in x]),
+            values_callable=(lambda x: [i for i in x]),
         ),
         **kwargs,
     )
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class User(db.Model):
     state = db.Column(db.String, nullable=False, default="pending")
     platform_admin = db.Column(db.Boolean, nullable=False, default=False)
     current_session_id = db.Column(UUID(as_uuid=True), nullable=True)
-    auth_type = enum_column(AuthType, index=True, nullable=False, default=AuthType.SMS.value)
+    auth_type = enum_column(AuthType, index=True, nullable=False, default=AuthType.SMS)
     email_access_validated_at = db.Column(
         db.DateTime,
         index=False,
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ class EmailBranding(db.Model):
         BrandType,
         index=True,
         nullable=False,
-        default=BrandType.ORG.value,
+        default=BrandType.ORG,
     )
 
     def serialize(self):
@@ -1130,7 +1130,7 @@ class TemplateBase(db.Model):
             TemplateProcessType,
             index=True,
             nullable=False,
-            default=TemplateProcessType.NORMAL.value,
+            default=TemplateProcessType.NORMAL,
         )
 
     redact_personalisation = association_proxy(
@@ -1385,7 +1385,7 @@ class Job(db.Model):
         JobStatus,
         index=True,
         nullable=False,
-        default=JobStatus.PENDING.value,
+        default=JobStatus.PENDING,
     )
     archived = db.Column(db.Boolean, nullable=False, default=False)
 
@@ -1453,7 +1453,7 @@ class NotificationAllTimeView(db.Model):
         NotificationStatus,
         name="notification_status",
         nullable=True,
-        default=NotificationStatus.CREATED.value,
+        default=NotificationStatus.CREATED,
         key="status",
     )
     reference = db.Column(db.String)
@@ -1511,7 +1511,7 @@ class Notification(db.Model):
         NotificationStatus,
         name="notification_status",
         nullable=True,
-        default=NotificationStatus.CREATED.value,
+        default=NotificationStatus.CREATED,
         key="status",
     )
     reference = db.Column(db.String, nullable=True, index=True)
@@ -1788,7 +1788,7 @@ class NotificationHistory(db.Model, HistoryModel):
         NotificationStatus,
         name="notification_status",
         nullable=True,
-        default=NotificationStatus.CREATED.value,
+        default=NotificationStatus.CREATED,
         key="status",
     )
     reference = db.Column(db.String, nullable=True, index=True)
@@ -1856,10 +1856,10 @@ class InvitedUser(db.Model):
     status = enum_column(
         InvitedUserStatus,
         nullable=False,
-        default=InvitedUserStatus.PENDING.value,
+        default=InvitedUserStatus.PENDING,
     )
     permissions = db.Column(db.String, nullable=False)
-    auth_type = enum_column(AuthType, index=True, nullable=False, default=AuthType.SMS.value)
+    auth_type = enum_column(AuthType, index=True, nullable=False, default=AuthType.SMS)
     folder_permissions = db.Column(JSONB(none_as_null=True), nullable=False, default=list)
 
     # would like to have used properties for this but haven't found a way to make them
@@ -1894,7 +1894,7 @@ class InvitedOrganizationUser(db.Model):
     status = enum_column(
         InvitedUserStatus,
         nullable=False,
-        default=InvitedUserStatus.PENDING.value,
+        default=InvitedUserStatus.PENDING,
     )
 
     def serialize(self):
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 6a1c8af62..be7abff41 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -4231,6 +4231,22 @@ files = [
 [package.dependencies]
 pbr = ">=2.0.0,<2.1.0 || >2.1.0"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "strenum"
+version = "0.4.15"
+description = "An Enum that inherits from str."
+optional = false
+python-versions = "*"
+files = [
+    {file = "StrEnum-0.4.15-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:a30cda4af7cc6b5bf52c8055bc4bf4b2b6b14a93b574626da33df53cf7740659"},
+    {file = "StrEnum-0.4.15.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:878fb5ab705442070e4dd1929bb5e2249511c0bcf2b0eeacf3bcd80875c82eff"},
+]
+
+[package.extras]
+docs = ["myst-parser[linkify]", "sphinx", "sphinx-rtd-theme"]
+release = ["twine"]
+test = ["pylint", "pytest", "pytest-black", "pytest-cov", "pytest-pylint"]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "toml"
 version = "0.10.2"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 205d5a8db..970059f5a 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ pyjwt = "==2.8.0"
 python-dotenv = "==1.0.0"
 sqlalchemy = "==1.4.40"
 werkzeug = "^3.0.1"
+strenum = "^0.4.15"
 
 
 [tool.poetry.group.dev.dependencies]
diff --git a/tests/app/test_commands.py b/tests/app/test_commands.py
index 2f5a3fb4b..586faaee7 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_commands.py
@@ -20,7 +20,14 @@ from app.commands import (
 )
 from app.dao.inbound_numbers_dao import dao_get_available_inbound_numbers
 from app.dao.users_dao import get_user_by_email
-from app.enums import KeyType, NotificationStatus, NotificationType, OrganizationType, TemplateType
+from app.enums import (
+    AuthType,
+    KeyType,
+    NotificationStatus,
+    NotificationType,
+    OrganizationType,
+    TemplateType,
+)
 from app.models import (
     AnnualBilling,
     Job,