Please take a few minutes to complete a short survey regarding mental health peer support. The information you provide will allow us to update our database of peer support organizations/groups in Canada, and should you wish to be consulted about this project, you would be participating in an initiative that recognizes the valued role that peer support has within Canada’s mental health care system.

Please click here to access the Peer Support survey.

Our intent is to build on the wealth of knowledge, experience and practice that already exists in this field. With your cooperation and support, we can further strengthen peer support in this country, ensuring that a larger number of Canadians who suffer from mental illnesses derive benefit from something we know works.

It can be expected that evidence-based frameworks will need to be developed before organizations of different types and sizes are willing to further invest in peer based initiatives. To promote the expanded use of peer support in Canada it is requisite that a framework be available, to achieve reliable and consistent delivery of peer support services. Developing standards of practice for peer support workers would provide such a framework and enhance the credibility of the function. Standards of practice can be established by identifying the competencies, experience, training/education, and values, which together constitute the hallmark for providing effective peer support.

There are valuable and effective variations regarding the way peer support is provided in our country and  a “one size fits all” approach is not what we intend to develop. A chief concern is to not lose sight of the grass roots, community based practices that have characterized the success of this type of mental health intervention. The initial goal of this project is to develop standards of practice for peer support, to be implemented and tested beginning with workplaces.  This will lead to peer support being formally recognized as a nationally accepted method of mental health intervention complementary to clinical care methods.

We aim to complete the consultation process and the development of the standards of practice within the next several months. Once validated, the end product of our collaborative effort will be posted on the MHCC’s web site. 

If you have any questions concerning the survey or project please contact us.
Your questions will be answered as soon as possible.