How can you ensure peer support is included in policy and funding decisions?

The Power of Peer Support When you are going through a difficult time, talking to someone who had been through a similar situation makes all the difference. Peer support gives you a sense of belonging and understanding that no one else can provide. Peer support lets you know that you're not alone in your struggles. Whether it's mental health issues, addiction, or any other challenge, having someone who relates can be life-saving. Hearing success stories from others who have been there gives us hope and the determination to never give up. The encouragement and advice we receive help us see our worth and build up confidence. Peer support fosters personal growth, resilience, and mutual empowerment.

One of the ways to indicate your commitment to peer support is to include peer supporters on your advisory and/or leadership teams, boards, or committees. Knowing that peer support input is valued at the highest levels of your organization will earn respect from your stakeholders, clients, founders, and customers.

Peer support is a process for developing and involving young people in the decision-making process. It is important to set up institutional mechanisms to give young people a voice at all levels: creating spaces for consultation and dialogue between young people and decision-makers, and encouraging meetings to share experiences, good practice, etc.

In many cases, the stories that you share can be told from the peer support communities’ perspective, further demonstrating your commitment to this population. Using the voices of the peer support community will strengthen your message.

Peer support must be considered when making financial and policy decisions, which calls for a proactive and strategic approach involving multiple stakeholders. This can be done by Raise effectiveness of peers rolls, involve them in policy making from very beginning, conduct cost benefits analysis to show the benefits of peers supports, invest in developing and professional development for peer support workers to ensure they have the necessary skills and can start polit programmer to show the effectiveness.

Rewrite this paragraph: Engage your peers Once you have effectively engaged peer supporters at all levels of your organization’s leadership, you can develop the means for their input and feedback. Train them on how to communicate and influence effectively; encourage and support their sharing of their stories and perspectives. By working together you can demonstrate the power of mutuality and support.

When seeking funding, it is especially important that you have a formal policy for including peer supporters in the needs assessment, planning and execution of the program that is seeking funding, and that they represent the diversity of the program audience.