The following content is intended to support you in gaining a better understanding of Peer Support and foster key skills to do this work effectively.  We hope you'll learn some of the essential components of the role, including what is peer support, relationship building & communication skills, boundaries + self-care, and practical applications of peer support with case scenarios.

These topics in addition to other content not featured here will be covered in greater detail during live virtual calls.    Please review the content, complete the self-quizzes and bring your questions to our calls.

Reflection Question: What values guide the work you do?

The values on the right right have been identified as being important to young people across Ontario. Take a minute to think about what values you connect to. What does it look like when you're working from a place of your values?

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Values in Peer Support Work

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 Module 1: What is Peer Support?

In this section, you will learn:

• Some of the core principles of peer support.
• Effective peer support skills, such as active listening, empathy, and empowerment techniques.
• The historical context and evolution of peer support.

Peer support is a supportive relationship relationship between people who have a lived experience in common. While there are a wide range of common lived experiences; the goal of peer support work is to provide emotional support, acceptance, validation, and empathy regardless of the circumstances.

The focus is to ensure the person feels supported through their journey. More importantly, peer support workers ensure that people in need of support are not isolated. Shame and secrecy often prevent people from seeking the treatment they need.

What are the benefits of peer support? 

The flexibility of peer support work can also complement other treatments and support services which you’ll read about later. Navigating the healthcare system and learning about the many services available can be difficult and confusing. Peer support workers can help people understand the services and treatments available to them as well as help them advocate for themselves, their friends, and their family.  

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Module 2: Relationship Building, Inclusion and Communication

In this section you will learn:

• How to develop relationship-building skills in peer support, including creating a safe and trusting environment for individuals.
• Active listening techniques and attending behaviors in peer support sessions to enhance communication and relationship-building.
• The importance of validation in peer support interactions and how to apply validation techniques.

Peer support is a process of relationship building. We cannot force someone to be ready to do the work with us, but we can hold space for them to show up whenever they are ready to. Sometimes all people need or are ready for is companionship and company and to share a safer space with someone they trust.   Peers should create an environment that welcome youth to express their identity and culture, and recognize that takes time - and trust building!  Watch the video on Identity and Inclusion to support how you build safer relationships with young people.

When you trust someone, you can feel safe with them physically and emotionally. Their actions have shown you that they are reliable, and you have confidence that they will be there for you. Trust is a crucial component of relationship building and is critical to the relationship you will have with your peers.   Click the image on the left for some key tips on building trust.

Attending means being present.  Active listening is a crucial component to becoming a peer support worker because our peers deserve to be heard. There can be many blocks and barriers to open communication.  Click the image on the left to learn more about these skills.

Read Unit 3 from the YWHO Peer Support Curriculum to learn more about Peer Support.   

Tips for Building Trust :Building

Active Listening & Attending

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Module 3: Boundaries, Self-Care and Self-Disclosure

In this section, you will learn:

• To identify, establish personal boundaries to maintain professionalism and ensure well-being
• The importance of boundaries in fostering a safe and supportive environment for both yourself and the individuals you support.
• Privacy, consent and the legal and ethical considerations involved in maintaining confidentiality in peer support work.
• Strategies for navigating situations where breaching confidentiality may be necessary for ensuring the safety and well-being of clients
• The signs and symptoms of burnout and proactive self-care strategies to prevent burnout while working in demanding and stressful peer support environments.

Boundaries

Boundaries are a set of guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to help themselves identify safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around them and how they will respond when someone steps outside those limits. They are built out of a mix of beliefs, opinions, attitudes, past experiences and social learning. Boundaries define who we are as individuals through helping us to create ownership and protection of ourselves.

Our boundaries are fluid and may change day to day, or hour to hour. It is important to check in with ourselves because, for example, one day we may be uncomfortable with giving a hug and we may feel totally fine with hugs the next day.

As peer support workers, there is a responsibility to set boundaries which will positively impact yourself and the individual that you’re working with and keep you professional. Our boundaries allow us to not only take better care of ourselves, but also allow us to be more effective and compassionate peer workers. We are also bound by the boundaries of our workplace, which includes things like confidentiality and a duty to report.

Self-Care

Everyone has a different notion of self-care; however, self-care is generally viewed as activities that we do on a regular basis that reduce our stress and enhance our well-being. Taking care of ourselves is vital to our work as peer support workers but self-care does not necessarily come to mind when we are busy or stressed. Self-care requires time to be set aside for ourselves to support our wellness. Proper management of our stress is vital for this line of work and in our personal lives but it also takes a lot of practice.

Remember, feeling overwhelmed and letting the stress get to us occasionally does not mean a weakness in our stress management. When we are feeling stressed, this feeling can help guide us to take a look at our strategies and adjust them to help us get through the stress. Stress management requires constant practice and our strategies will change over time!

Read Unit 4 from the YWHO Peer Support Curriculum to learn more about Boundaries and Self-Care

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Examples of Self-Care

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