"Thusly, people who work in ‘peer’ roles are in those roles not just because they’ve ‘been there.’ Lots of people have ‘been there’ in some way – far more than are willing to admit it. No, people who work in ‘peer’ roles are pledging (or, at least, should be) to offer peer-to-peer support that is informed by their personal experiences, is based on mutuality, and assumes shared growth and learning. Calling a role ‘peer’ says (or should say), “I am here to walk this path with you, but only if you want me to.” The person in a genuine ‘peer’ role acknowledges that they don’t have any answers – that there may be no one right answer – but believes in each person’s expertise about and knowledge of themselves if given the support and/or time to uncover it. The person in the true ‘peer’ role may be agreeing to walk with you in the mental health system, but their allegiance is not to the system’s systems. Rather, it is to co-creating the space with you where exploration may happen and your voice may once again be found or strengthened. When they sit in team and administrative meetings in traditional settings, people in ‘peer’ roles are there to challenge the status quo (or help people figure out what and why it even is), and encourage growth all around, not to blend in as a part of the team." (from the article) - [Cat]
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 00:24:57 +0000
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