MHAWNS promotes peer support as an essential component of the mental health system.

Peer supporters have “lived experience” and are trained to support those who struggle with mental health, psychological trauma, or substance use. 

Their personal experience of these challenges provide peer support specialists with expertise that professional training cannot replicate. 

The benefits of Peer Support are wide ranging for those receiving the support, peer-support workers themselves, and for the mental health system as a whole. 

Research shows that peer support can quicken your pace of recovery and help you learn how to better manage challenges along the way. 

Peer Support also has benefits for peer support workers themselves, increasing levels of self-esteem, confidence and positive feelings from helping others. Peer-support workers often experience an increase in their own ability to cope with mental health problems.

Peer Support also benefits the health system as a whole as it can lead to decrease in hospital admissions for those taking part as well as helping to reduce the  emotional distress experienced by patients.

This involves Peer Support Specialists educating peers on specific topics, such as stress reduction, mindfulness techniques and helping to provide strategies to improve their coping skills to effectively support their mental health.