Te Whatu Ora South Canterbury is offering specialised training for people who have recovered from addiction and mental health challenges to equip them to use their experiences to help others in the community and embark on a career in peer support.

The Mental Health and Addictions Service is hosting a free, five day intentional peer support (IPS) core training course in Timaru in early December (4th – 8th December 2023).

The specialised training is facilitated by qualified trainers with their own experience of substance use or mental health challenges who are already working in the field and participants will receive an IPS Core Training Certificate upon successful completion of the course.

Te Whatu Ora Consumer and Whānau Engagement Facilitator Michelle Patrick says the course teaches the basic skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours needed for participants to become involved in peer support work.

“The training is highly interactive and is an opportunity to examine assumptions about who you are, acknowledge our histories of oppression and trauma, and explore ways to create relationships in which power is shared.”

“People can use their lived experience to become more aware of behavioural patterns and learn to support and challenge each other to try to things.”

“This professional development training is a great first step to a career in mental health and addiction support and we would love to see more people with lived experience sharing their knowledge with our community,” says Michelle Patrick.

The course is a pre-requisite for application to upcoming Peer Support Specialist roles within the Mental Health and Addictions Service at Te Whatu Ora South Canterbury.

The closing date for applications for the free course is 20th November 2023. Limited spaces available. Anyone interested in applying can submit a letter outlining their passion for peer support, detailing any relevant personal experience to ncrawford@scdhb.health.nz or via post to Consumer Advisor, Dept 265, Private Bag 911, Timaru.

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