The following content is intended for those working in YWHO Hubs in a peer support role. It provides the essential introduction to peer support work as well as key themes related to the role. These topics in addition to other content not featured here will be covered in greater detail during annual live virtual trainings.
Take a look at the values that have been identified as being important to young people across Ontario below. Take a minute to think about what you value and then write about what it looks like when that value is played out.
Click on the image below to see it in full.
WELCOME TO PEER SUPPORT
This unit will introduce you to the work that you will be part of as a peer support worker and give you the opportunity to reflect on how to engage in peer support in a way that honors your values, strengths and goals.
Peer support is “a supportive relationship between people who have a lived experience in common”.10 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.
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.
This training includes fundamental topics from Peer Support Canada (PSC), formerly Peer Support Accreditation and Certification Canada (PSACC). PSC is dedicated to the advancement of peer support. They provide National Peer Support Certification, Family Peer Support Certification, and Peer Support Mentor Certification. This training is not aimed at telling you what part of your lived experience is valuable to others. It is focused on honoring the expertise your lived experience brings.
This curriculum is also aimed at supporting you in figuring out how to use your truth to effectively support others who are going through similar situations while also protecting your own well-being.
Watch Video below:
FOUNDATIONS
The goal of this unit is to give you tools and experiences that will allow you to reflect on information you receive in the training and experiences you hear from peers.
As a peer support worker, you will be part of caring for your community. This is important work, and it can also be complex and tough at times. Remember that we are all lifelong learners and there will be many more opportunities for you to learn as you do work in a good way.
SPACE
A key part of being a peer support worker involves making space for peers, not just physically in that you are with them, but also by allowing time and attention for them to share their own experiences as well as responding to their needs and goals. When we think of ‘space’ we might think of a specific area such as a room or park. Within this
training and within the work you do, there will be a physical space that you will be taking up and existing in alongside others. We can take up space and exist in space in a non-physical way as well,
through words, actions or behaviors.
In reflecting on space that we take up or make, we now turn to looking at land acknowledgements.
ALWAYS START WITH A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Land acknowledgements are a tradition that has dated back centuries for Indigenous people, but for many
non-Indigenous Canadians, officially recognizing the territory or lands we stand on is a fairly new concept. Whether we are recognizing our privilege as guests to a territory, or as Indigenous people acknowledging our history and connection to the land, acknowledging the context of the space we occupy while expressing respect and gratitude to the land and the Nations who host us is important.
HOW TO DO A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
if you are a colonizer, settler, or uninvited guest to the land
KNOW THE TERRITORY YOU ARE ON
native-land.ca
Take some time to learn about the Indigenous culture and way of life where you are. Indigenous cultures are alive, modern, and vibrant. Knowing the territory where you are is important, because
not all Indigenous people are the same. This idea is offensive, and destructive.
EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE FOR BEING HERE
This could look a lot of ways. It is not in the words that you use, but the meaning and intention behind them.
As long as you are naming the Indigenous territory you are on and your relationship to it (colonizer, settler, uninvited guest), the rest is up to you. There’s no wrong way to express gratitude.
A LAND WELCOME VS. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
- A welcome can only be done by someone who is Indigenous to the specific territory/Nation.
When possible:
• Find a person who is Indigenous to the territory you are doing work on.
• Don’t assume you are welcome. Communicate with the administration of the First Nation community/
organization/agency that you are working with to ensure you introduce yourself and why you are there.
Ask if they are able to provide a welcome to you on behalf of the community/organization/agency. They
can also inform you of their expectations or customary practices of reciprocity and respect while you are
there.
• A pouch of tobacco (one of the four sacred medicines) is usually offered first when seeking assistance
or asking for guidance. You can say “I have brought tobacco with me today to make a special request of
you,” then make your request.
• Discuss if other payment or gifts would be appropriate in advance. This could be tobacco, a blanket, or
whatever you’ve discussed.
• Hand the welcomer your gift & payment in a card in person after the welcome or at the end of the
event. Be ready on the event date!
How can we practice these customs along with building relationships and solidarity?
PRONUNCIATION
- If you’re worried about not pronouncing a name correctly, do your best to...
- Connect to a member of the community for clarification A Band Manager for a First Nation Community can help you with the proper pronunciation or be a starting point to make a connection in their community. Be sure to compensate those that help you for their time.
- Do research to see if you can find a video or information online from an Elder or other person from that Nation pronouncing the name. However, know that there are also many dialects, so not all pronunciations will always be how those in the territory that you are on will pronounce the name.
- If this is not possible, and it definitely isn’t always possible, just do your best and acknowledge the fact that you may not be
PRONOUNS
We should not make assumptions about the pronouns someone uses, as our perception of someone’s
appearance or behavior is not a reliable indicator of their pronoun. To create the safest space possible for
everyone, we refer to individuals properly and respectfully1 by using the pronouns that they have indicated
they use.
Not everyone may feel comfortable sharing the pronouns they use, and that’s okay! For some it may take
time to feel they can do so and for others they may simply not want to share in that moment. If you are
uncertain of someone’s pronouns, you can always ask them respectfully and privately as they may not feel
comfortable sharing to a crowd.
A way to ask someone what pronouns they use is by introducing yourself and your pronouns first, and then
asking them for theirs. If someone is not comfortable sharing the pronouns they use, moving forward you
can also use their name or gender-neutral pronouns.
When referring to large groups of people, it is often best practice to use gender-neutral terms to address
everyone. This includes words such as “everyone”, “all”, “folks” or even more casual terms like “pals” or “friends”
instead of terms like “guys” or “ladies and gents”.
COMMUNITY
Community generally means a group of people who feel connected
to each other and often share a set of values, attitudes, interests and/
or goals. The group of people you are doing this training with will be
your community while you are learning about peer support.
When people are safe in a group, they can freely share common
experiences, exchange information, ideas, emotional support, and
empower one another.
A community agreement (sometimes called “group guidelines”)
is a list of behaviors and attitudes that are agreed upon by the
participants to create a safe environment for discussing sensitive
information and experiences. Community agreements can be discussed and edited as needed.
Community agreements are often guided by our values, what we feel
is important to us when we work with others.
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.
CORE SKILLS OF PEER SUPPORT WORK
RECOVERY
The Recovery Model is a services perspective that believes people can support their own mental health and wellness. Like the definition of recovery itself, treatment plans will be varied and different for everyone. The goal is to ensure there is a meaningful partnership between the person and their support network.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
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.
This video is helpful to further understand this topic.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS
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.
ACTIVE LISTENING AND ATTENDING
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.
Listening Skill Self-Assessment
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
- Do you listen primarily for facts or ideas when someone is speaking?
- Do certain words, phrases, or ideas activate your own thoughts or ideas so that you cannot listen objectively to what is being said to you?
- When you are puzzled or annoyed by what someone says, do you try to get the question straightened out immediately, either in your own mind or by interrupting the speaker?
- If you feel it would take too much time and effort to understand something, do you go out of your way to avoid hearing about it?
- Do you deliberately turn your thoughts to other subjects when you believe a speaker will have nothing interesting to say?
- Can you tell by a person’s appearance and delivery that she/he won’t have anything worthwhile to say?
- When somebody is talking to you, do you try to make him/her think you’re paying attention when you’re not?
- When you’re listening to someone, are you easily distracted by outside sights and sounds?
- If you want to remember what someone is saying, do you think it is a good idea to write it down as she goes along?
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 us to support our wellness.
