mental health peer support training
Posted by fallenx888x on Monday, July 9, 2012
Peer Support & You
Peer support is a highly unique and invaluable role for people with the
lived experience of mental illness, supporting and enabling their peers
to gain or maintain 'hope', mental health recovery and live the
lifestyles of their choice.
Recovery is the underpinning framework for the peer support worker and
the four key concepts of recovery are the most fundamental and every day
tools that the peer support worker uses as part of their peer support
toolkit.
So What is ?
Peer support is a peer of equal standing enabling and supporting another
peer to live the lifestyle of their choice. Peer support is based on
mutuality, equality, social connection and information of 2 peers
working and talking with each other to encourage and enable each other
to live the lifestyles of their choice.
Peer support is really all about having a conversation. A conversation
that is meaningful for the peer and one that is undertaken which upholds
their dignity and respect and their right to be in the driver's seat
controlling the wheel to determine how and what they would like to do.
Peer support is not about giving advice. Rather the peer support worker
is the passenger in the car encouraging the peer to take control (or the
driver's wheel) to make their own decisions, their own choices and
their own activities which is meaningful for the peer.
What is Recovery?
Recovery is primarily based on four key concepts.
These being:
Hope
Self Responsibility
Information/Education
Self Advocacy.
These key concepts underpin all that recovery is about for the
individual.
Recovery is not about 'cure'. Rather recovery is about personal growth,
personal decision making and taking action. Recovery is proactive. One
cannot sit back and wait for recovery to happen.
Many mental health services consider recovery as a 'model'. This is far
from the truth of the matter. Recovery is a framework and as such is
flexible so that each and every individual can and do recover and have
the lifestyles of their choice, based on their own individual needs,
unique circumstances and situations, and belief systems.
So what has Recovery got to Do with and Workers?
Anything and everything is most probably the long and short answer.
If the peer support worker is undertaking their role with integrity they
will be implementing on a daily basis, not only in their own lives but
also with the peers they're working with, the four key concepts of
recovery.
They will be encouraging their peers to fulfill their hopes and dreams,
and they may at times be the holders of hope when the peer/s find life
tough going and unsure where or what to do next.
The peer support worker will be in each and every day on a daily basis
encouraging and enabling the peer/s to take their own responsibility for
their decisions, actions, thinking and belief systems. To do this
requires the peer support worker to regularly check in with the peer on
the decisions they want to make rather than making the decisions for
them.
Every day and in every way the peer support worker would be informing
their peers on the options and opportunities that abound and may be
potentially suitable for the peer. Rather than telling the peer what to
do, they would provide options of what is available for the peer to make
up their own mind.For more info,Please visit mental health peer support training
As the saying going 'information is power'. So too for the peer. To be
provided with timely and relevant information on which to make informed
choices and decisions.
Self advocacy is about the peer finding their own voice and speaking up
on their own behalf. Again the peer support worker would be informing
the peer and having a conversation to encourage and enable the peer to
speak up for the things they want in life, the services they wish to
access and/or obtain. Supporting and assisting the peer to stand and
walk on their own two feet rather than speaking on the peer's behalf.
In conclusion
As one can clearly see the uniqueness and invaluable role that peer
support workers undertake can be highly valued. In many instances it can
mean the difference for a peer to stay alive and keep trying and
believing they too can indeed recover.
Peer support is about having conversations and understanding, empathy
and compassion with a peer which is non-judgmental and encourages and
enables our peers to live the lifestyles of their choice.
To dare to dream.
To dare to bring their hopes and dreams to reality.
Desley has worked in the mental health sector for over 19 years. She is a
highly innovative and talented trainer, public speaker and author.
Desley�s passion is all things to do with mental health, peer support
and recovery. She loves to enable and encourage individuals to find
their voice and uIf you are interested in learning more,click on the following