• Peer Support - A Program in Your Community

    Helping you, help yourself.

Peer Support Worker Training for Rural and Farming Communities

“Peer support is a supportive relationship between people who have a lived experience in common.” (MHCC) In partnership with Robyn Priest LIVE YOUR TRUTH, we are offering Peer Support Worker Training by donation to individuals in rural and agricultural communities. These trained Peer Support workers will then be able to start support groups in their communities. You will be able to find support for your mental health, from people who understand your way of life.

Sign Up for Peer Support Worker Training

What is Peer Support?

“Peer support is a supportive relationship between people who have a lived experience in common. The peer support worker provides emotional and social support to others who share a common experience. But despite evidence of the benefits, for both individuals and families, peer support programs have yet to receive the focus, funding, and attention needed.” 

– Mental Health Commission of Canada

To become a peer support worker, individuals must go through a training process. There are many organizations that offer peer support training. One of the best is Robyn Priest LIVE YOUR TRUTH, an organization that is currently offering online training for individuals and families. Peer support workers are those who have lived experience with mental health challenges, or have a family member who does.

Sign up here for Peer Support Worker Training!

Would you like to learn how to provide peer support or lead a support group in your community? Become trained in Peer Support Work to encourage other rural residents in their mental health.

Fill out this form to learn more about the training and sign up. 

Training is by donation to the Stigma-Free Society, the Charity that champions the Rural Mental Wellness Toolkit project. A $50 deposit is required to secure your spot as there is great demand for the training. This deposit is refundable upon attending the sessions.

Training is virtual and is held over Zoom. 

The next training sessions will be February 28th and March 7th 2022, open to all rural residents in Canada and the US.

Register today!

“Peer support isn’t limited to mental health or addiction issues. It can be about anything anyone is going through; about life.”

– Robyn Priest

Values of Peer Support: 
1. Self-determination and equality: Peer support is person-focused and empowering.
2. Mutuality and empathy: Peer support emphasizes the importance of shared lived experience that creates an accepting mutual relationship. 
3. Wellness: Peer support focuses on the individual’s overall wellness.

Why is Peer Support Helpful for Farming and Rural Communities?

Peer support is led by trained people just like you who have lived experience with mental health challenges, but also get what rural living and working in agriculture is like. Since there aren’t many mental health services in rural communities like psychologists or counsellors, peer support is a great option. Peer support can also be done over video chat, so you can keep it personal and private.

“I know having moved from the city to a farming community was a culture shock and being able to chat with others who had experienced that, or even just chatting with others who had dealt with dealing with crops, animals, the ever changing seasons, helped enormously. It was like – ahhh you get it.”

– Robyn Priest

Robyn Priest: LIVE YOUR TRUTH Videos

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