If you are reading this then you are considering facilitating a Peer 2 Peer development programme, or sessions. To ensure potential participants are ready we have designed this pre-programme piece of personal reflection. This will help you and them to consider and prepare for the peer support programme. In sharing and supporting potential participants through this, you will empower them to shape their lived experience and recovery journey. This will enable them to be effective as an inspiration to empower others as they navigate their recovery.
THE PROCESS
It is likely that you will support potential participants through this reflective process through facilitation. This could be a 1-1 conversation or a conversation in a small group. There are no right and wrong answers, and we expect you to invite participants to complete the reflection within an agreed period of time and then have a further conversation. At that point as the peer facilitator you can guide and decide the next steps with the participants. Ideally you print it out and give it to the potential participant/s.
Guidance on having conversations can be found in the Facilitator Handbook. Participants are issued with the Pre-Programme Conversation Workbook, which has clear guidance on the process of Pre-Peer 2 Peer reflection and invites the creation of the first iteration of the Personal Recovery Story. The structure around this is very much about how the participant thinks and records their lived experience and recovery journey, in a way that is accessible, empowering and inspirational to others. This conversation/series of conversations will ensure both parties of the readiness of the participant to undertake Peer 2 Peer. We envisage that the Recovery Story is continually reflected on and updated during the programme.
PURPOSE
It’s a personal commitment to deliver a P2P programme. In that process you will be facilitating others to think through their recovery journey so far from a strengths-based perspective. Irrespective of where potential participants are on their journey we recommend that they complete this reflective practice.
They may have previously undertaken a personal stocktake or written their recovery story as part of their own journey, the reflective workbook helps them to explicitly begin to see, feel and frame that in their role/perspective role as a peer, supporting others.
LEARNING INTENTIONS (OVER A MINIMUM OF 2 CONVERSATIONS).
- Define and agree the key components of an empowering and safe learning environment, in the context of the conversations and their purpose.
- Come together to explore the Recovery Story Workbook.
- Complete a pre-programme personal stocktake.
- Reflect on the above work and decide next steps.
PREPARING FOR PEER TO PEER WORKBOOK