Upcoming Training and Events

Peer Support: An Alternative Approach

Peer support has traditionally meant informal, non-professionalized help from people who have had similar life experiences. In mental health peers come together with many shared experiences including a negative reaction to traditional services. However without a new framework to build from it is not uncommon to find people re-enacting “help” based on what was done to them. Some people take on positions of power and others fall into passive recipient roles. Therefore, all training emphasizes a critical learning experience in which people mutually explore “how they’ve come to know what they know.” In other words, through intentional conversations, people examine their assumptions about who they are, what power-shared relationships can look like, and ultimately what’s possible. (5-8 days)

This is accomplished through a process of learning about: 

• What makes intentional peer support different
• The 4 tasks (connection, worldview, mutual responsibility and moving towards)
• Listening with intention
• Challenging old roles
• Understanding trauma worldview and trauma re-enactment
• Working towards shared responsibility and shared power
• Creating a vision
• Using supervision as a tool to maintain values in action

Peer Run Crisis Alternatives

Participants should have  completed the 5 day Intentional Peer Support Training

This will be a 3 day training covering:

• Basic trauma informed peer support training
• Working with high end situations
• Working with conflict
• Flexible boundaries
• Pro-active crisis planning
• Supervision and evaluation

Co-supervision: 2 days

Pre-requisate: IPS training

This values based training offers a detailed explanation and practice for co-supervision.

Participants will learn how to:

• Explore values in actionGive and Receive critical feedback
• Learn how to evaluate the integrity of your group/program

5 Day Train-the-Trainer's Teacher's Training

This training offers potential facilitators the requisite skills to lead Intentional Peer Support training. There is a detailed facilitator’s manual that covers lesson plans for the 5 day training, all handouts, forms, suggestions etc.

People interested in this course should complete the facilitator’s training application and submit to Shery Mead Consulting for review. We will organize a training when we have a sufficient number of accepted applicants.

Training covers:

• IPS basics
• Answering difficult questions
• Providing role plays
• Facilitating material effectively using Adult Ed principles
• Giving and receiving reflective feedback
• Networking and supporting one another to further develop Intentional Peer Support

Download the Application form here: