November 7, 2011
CHARTER OF PEER SUPPORT
Call for Project Steering Committee Members
Greetings Community Partners and Members,
The Lived Experience & Recovery Network (LERN) recently announced our new project: the Canadian Charter of Peer Support. LERN is a networking body linking, supporting and educating all consumer/survivor and family organizations (CSIs and FIs) in the Northeast Region. We also network and advocate provincially and nationally on behalf of our member organizations and for all CSIs and FIs.
Further to our previous letter of invite for partners, supporters and contributors, we are now pleased to announce that we are moving forward with this project, with an anticipated start date of December 5th, 2011. We would like to invite interested parties to participate on the project steering committee. The responsibility of the steering committee will be to guide and promote the project over the next six to eight months. We anticipate a commitment of one meeting per month, although additional meetings may be required by either the steering committee or possible sub-committees on an as-needed basis. Meetings will primarily be held via teleconference and/or video conference, although there is the potential for in-person meetings where/when funding permits.
The purpose of Charter is:
- promote peer support as a cost effective and integral part of the mental health and addiction system
- promote the involvement and empowerment of people with lived experience and family members
- showcase the validity and value of peer support as a method of service delivery
- encourage various stakeholders, partners and government agencies to recognize and appreciate the power of peer support to reduce incidence of use of services as well as to increase over-all well-being and self-reliance of people
We have had communications with Stéphane Grenier of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) regarding how this project can be complimentary to the Peer Project currently underway. Discussions have been very positive and Stéphane suggested that either he or another Peer Project member would be willing to sit on the Charter steering committee.
We have secured the permission of the Centre of Excellence in Peer Support, Australia to use their Charter of Peer Support as our guiding document. You can view the Australian Charter as well as information and updates about this project on our website at www.livedexperience.org.
If you would like to participate as a project steering committee member or would like further information please contact our office at 705-840-1818 or via email at ktovey@livedexperience.org.
Thank you in advance for your support and commitment to promoting the value and effectiveness of peer support and CSIs/FIs.
Sincerely,
Krista
Regional Director
Lived Experience & Recovery Network (LERN)
Formerly Northeast Ontario Consumer/Survivor Network (NEON)
351 Ferguson St., North Bay ON P1B 1X1
705.840.1818
www.livedexperience.org