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Peer Support Work

Peer Support Work. Elaine Browne Peer Support Worker. REFOCUS. REFOCUS is a three year Genio funded initiative which involves partnership between Mayo Mental Health Services, Advancing Recovery Ireland, the HSE and RehabCare. What is REFOCUS ABOUT?. “Building a Life Beyond Illness”

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Peer Support Work

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  1. Peer Support Work Elaine Browne Peer Support Worker

  2. REFOCUS • REFOCUS is a three year Genio funded initiative which involves partnership between Mayo Mental Health Services, Advancing Recovery Ireland, the HSE and RehabCare.

  3. What is REFOCUS ABOUT? • “Building a Life Beyond Illness” • The person using the service is put at the centre of planning and designing a service to suit their own individual needs. • Implementing a personal recovery plan with a Planning Facilitator. • Refocus is about developing a team of natural and professional supporters around the person. • Refocus is about creating opportunities within the wider community rather than depending soley on existing support within the services. • Refocus is about Recovery.

  4. WHAT IS A PEER SUPPORT WORKER? • A PSW is a person who has lived experience of a mental health issue and is a trained professional. • A PSW has a deep understanding of the impact a mental health issue can have on a person’s life. • A PSW is an “expert by experience”. • A Peer Support Worker is open about their personal experience when working. • A PSW is a guardian of Hope, Control, Opportunity and Recovery.

  5. Why am I a Peer Support Worker? • After a long struggle with fear, confusion, isolation and not knowing what was happening me, the only escape from the now physical pain was to end my life. • Discovered by a friend, hospitalisation and diagnosis. • Months in hospital kept me alive and allowed me some respite after the struggle of existing within the world. • Found that I had a mental health issue but still didn’t find the will to live or have any hope for my life. • Care was good but something was missing. • After discharge, struggled with making life work and was readmitted after another attempt on my life. • This time decided to take responsibility for my own Recovery.

  6. What a Peer Support Worker Does when Working. • We Discover who the person is beyond their diagnosis. In turn the person goes through self discovery. • Listen, share, talk, stay silent, be fully present, non judgemental, hold hope for the person, give information, empower, discover, plan for the future, set achievable goals, shadow the person but never “do for”. • A PSW never gives advice as the person becomes the expert in their own recovery.

  7. What is Recovery? • Recovery is living a life that is not dictated by diagnosis or presence or absence of symptoms of mental illness. • Recovery is about gaining confidence and control. • Recovery is at the individuals pace. • Recovery can be 2 steps forward and 5 steps back! • Recovery is about making “The Community your Support and not The Support your Community”. • Recovery is about building up relationships outside of the services. • Recovery is real for individuals. • Recovery is sometimes realising that our fears and doubts can hold a person back from recovery.

  8. Does Peer Support Work? • My Personal experience of a peer in my life during my illness. • How we see signs of progress in participants of Refoces, hope, control, self advocacy. • A valued role as part of a team, maybe a link that has been missing in the services. • PSW being the bridge to the community. • Not a co-dependant relationship but eventually a dissolving relationship.

  9. QUESTIONS? Thank You

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