Just wondering. I was accepted into a program a few years ago but injured my back so couldn’t attend. Do we need “trained” people doing peer support?
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Nearly three decades of service work as an AA member. That’s a lot of 12 Step calls. Not paid and my training was kind of “on the job”. Never had an interest in doing it professionally.
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Pretty amazing. Hat off to you.
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It’s not entirely selfless - drunks sharing with each other keeps all of us sober. You have to give away your sobriety to keep it, as it were.
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Yeah. I have thought about it here and there. And i think its good to get a little education and training beforehand for professional peer work. I guess mainly so you dont end up in trouble and also so you can use your lived experience more wisely and professionally.
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I had given several lectures for mental illnesses and had participated in several studies later our local mental health coordinator asked me if I would take the test to be a peer support person after scoring a 72 I was unable to become a peer support person I learned that I am somewhat prejudiced against certain illnesses I have been working on that it goes to show that it is not Who We Are but what we say and think there are good points to the job but there is many bad points to you have to be quite aware of people and their actions for if you make the wrong decision someone could perish keep in mind that we definitely need good people out there and good luck to you
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Did the training as a Peer Suuport Worker 20 years ago, when i was working in a day centre for single mothers. It was a support group where mums and dads could exchange parenting ideas.
I didnt last long tho, when i started hearing the stories of abuse, and my un-diagnosed Sz was creeping in as well. I frankly wanted to save the ruddy lot of them.
It was painful on the heart.
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We have lots of letters in our house. Sz, ADHD, BPD, PTSD and rape trauma. To navigate all that we support each other, basically our own little 2 person peer support group in the form of a marriage. I have been thinking about trying to set up something online for support but I guess that’s what we do here isn’t it? I like it here although a lot of people have left over the years.
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Yeah, i tried. But i took their problems home with me. I was only 19 at the time lol.
In fact lately i have a “private” arrangement with the CPN. Any single mothers on their arse with a little one (and not on drugs), and ive promised to financially sort them out on the quiet.
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I thought about it, but I think U need to get a diploma or even a degree in that field to even qualify.
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I think some training is beneficial, we already have lived experience but how do we use that in the most effective way and that’s where the training comes in,
I have been doing some training recently and i am nearly at the end of my training which has been very challenging at times, but I’d get an internationally recognised certificate and the option for further training to become a teacher of it.
its good to try and be equipt in this field of expertise but we will come across challenging interactions and so this helps us to prepare for any sort of conversation that may arise.
I have done a short peer support training before at my clubhouse already and we all peer support each other there anyway but we would never really chat much about our illness except with a staff member if we really needed it.
i think a lot of us go there to get away from our problems and its a good distraction.
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Probably varies for where you live… ann organization to train and certify. Here are the folks leading the way in Canada https://peersupportcanada.ca/ . I dont think a degree is required.
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Interesting. Just curious but what kind of training?
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Its 40hrs over 10 sessions, Its called IPS which is Intentional peer support, & it is taught online,
It can cost a pretty penny but if you are unemployed you can get discounts and i was lucky enough to get my fee waived.
The woman who facilitates it here in Europe came to my clubhouse and chatted to a few of us and i kept in touch 
here is a link to the website for more information
Peer support is about Social Change (intentionalpeersupport.org)
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Thanks that’s interesting. I will follow it up.
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I’m a certified peer counselor, but I have yet to work on the field. I work at a homeless shelter, sort of peer work.
I’m looking at apprenticeship for peer work now, so I could go to clinical peer work.
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Hi @Abise , could doing online peer support work qualify or would you have to put your time in face to face?
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I went to an open day of a college that offered a 2 year degree in peer support. You apparently have to give people hope through repeating your own story of success. I wasn’t interested in that.
Moreover, in Belgium almost all peer support jobs are within psychiatric walls and I hate those.
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Peer support workers in my state can be hired off the street. Some were good and some were not so good.
I eventually quit seeing them bc it felt like my space was being violated and if we met in public I didn’t want other people listening in to our conversation.
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I’d do ot if I had reliable transportation.
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