My Journey to be a Peer Support Specialist

 “I want to use my skills that I learn from the peer support specialist course to help others who are having mental health challenges, said Y, with a look of conviction in his eyes. Y did his peer support specialist practicum with Resilience Collective and found it to be a meaningful experience that he wishes to encourage other peers to register for the programme if they feel ready on their recovery journey.

Y struggled with depression and panic attacks since he was in his twenties.

He felt that recently, he was more stable in his recovery and felt that through the course, he got to know more peers with mental health challenges, and this gave him a sense of community because he could relate better with similar lived experiences.

During the programme, RC staff have given Y the confidence and resources to co-produce content with peers for RC’s Resilience Education workshops.

Co-production allow peers to harness their lived experience with a mental health condition for personalised and sustainable recovery strategies towards mental health solutioning with professionals and the community.

Y has also found the programme useful to help him foster a sense of accountability on his recovery journey.

By speaking with other peers during the programme, Y has been more comfortable sharing his lived experience with others and supporting them as well. He is able to connect directly with peers. He said, “Through the programme, peers would find that this would be beneficial to them on their recovery journeys.”

Y is also grateful that his family has been very supportive towards him maintaining stability during recovery. He said, “They make sure I see a doctor when I am down and take my medicine regularly as instructed by the doctor.” Y also wants peers to know that they are not alone in their recovery journeys. Since completing his practicum, Y is now a certified peer support specialist.

Launched in 2016 by the National Council of Social Service with support from the Institute of Mental Health and mental health organisations, it is Singapore’s first national training programme to prepare individuals for the role of Peer Support Specialists. The peer support specialist programme equips persons with mental health conditions with peer support skills to leverage their lived experience to support others on their recovery journeys.

Find out more about the peer support specialist programme here.

Authored by: Y

We thank our blog contributors and applaud their strength in finding the words to share their lived experience, not only as part of the personal recovery journey but to inspire and bring hope to others who might be facing mental health challenges.“I want to use my skills that I learn from the peer support specialist course to help others who are having mental health challenges, said Y, with a look of conviction in his eyes. Y did his peer support specialist practicum with Resilience Collective and found it to be a meaningful experience that he wishes to encourage other peers to register for the programme if they feel ready on their recovery journey.

Y struggled with depression and panic attacks since he was in his twenties.

He felt that recently, he was more stable in his recovery and felt that through the course, he got to know more peers with mental health challenges, and this gave him a sense of community because he could relate better with similar lived experiences.

During the programme, RC staff have given Y the confidence and resources to co-produce content with peers for RC’s Resilience Education workshops.

Co-production allow peers to harness their lived experience with a mental health condition for personalised and sustainable recovery strategies towards mental health solutioning with professionals and the community.

Y has also found the programme useful to help him foster a sense of accountability on his recovery journey.

By speaking with other peers during the programme, Y has been more comfortable sharing his lived experience with others and supporting them as well. He is able to connect directly with peers. He said, “Through the programme, peers would find that this would be beneficial to them on their recovery journeys.”

Y is also grateful that his family has been very supportive towards him maintaining stability during recovery. He said, “They make sure I see a doctor when I am down and take my medicine regularly as instructed by the doctor.” Y also wants peers to know that they are not alone in their recovery journeys. Since completing his practicum, Y is now a certified peer support specialist.

Launched in 2016 by the National Council of Social Service with support from the Institute of Mental Health and mental health organisations, it is Singapore’s first national training programme to prepare individuals for the role of Peer Support Specialists. The peer support specialist programme equips persons with mental health conditions with peer support skills to leverage their lived experience to support others on their recovery journeys.

Find out more about the peer support specialist programme here.

Authored by: Y

We thank our blog contributors and applaud their strength in finding the words to share their lived experience, not only as part of the personal recovery journey but to inspire and bring hope to others who might be facing mental health challenges.