The positive impact of having someone with lived experience who is trained to support people with mental health conditions and substance misuse has been widely researched and well-documented. Yet the peer support workforce is an emerging field.
Last week, Caring for Denver hosted a panel discussion on supporting, training, and retaining a peer support workforce in Denver. It included a summary of findings and recommendations from a recent report completed by the City and County of Denver, and shared insights from the Colorado Mental Wellness Network and Colorado Village Collaborative, organizations training and employing peer support specialists.
Panelists discussed several questions, including:
- What is essential to consider when hiring a peer as a peer supporter?
- What are some key attributes of a successful program?
- What are some things organizations can do to support and retain peer supporters?
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about this panel or thoughts about future discussions related to this topic.