Episode 61 - Have you heard of peer support? It's awesome!

Episode 61 - Have you heard of peer support? It's awesome!

Episode Overview

• Peer support workers provide non-clinical strength-based support to individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, drawing from their own lived experience.
• Ceil's personal journey in recovery and her role as a peer support worker highlight the critical impact of peer support in addiction treatment.
• The episode delves into the requirements and training needed to become a certified peer support specialist, emphasising the diverse qualifications and experiences needed for this role.
• Exploration of peer support's expanding role in the treatment of substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and other medical issues, reflecting a growing trend in healthcare.
• Insights into the challenges and rewards of providing peer support, along with the pivotal role of relationships and trust in supporting individuals in their recovery journeys.

“I think it's really critical for me to come alongside as someone who understands, hopefully with some humor. And especially with the fentanyl crisis these days, I think, and the emphasis on harm reduction, that medicine can play a very, very key role in recovery these days. But recovery is also attending meetings, finding outside support. So I think it's really important for me to realize that I'm developing a relationship; it's going to look different with each person. Someone's going to come naturally, some not so naturally, so I look at it as a process of relationship development, and in their trust does start to come into play. And especially those suffering addiction, the tendency is to isolate. - Ceil”