Ahakoa ākina a tai, ākina a hau, he toka tū toka ahuru tātau Although the tides and winds may come crashing down upon us, like a rock we stand resilient and comfortable in the face of adversity.

What are the resources and procedures that will support NGOs to initiate and undertake ongoing evaluation? What are the outcomes being supported by peer support?

Who are the people?

Focus Groups- What do peers value in their lives and how do peer services help people achieve this? Outcome Tools- Using outcome tools in a peer service Resource Development- Rubric

What they do cultural engagement Programmes and activities

Equality and mutuality Holistic Person focused Respect and compassion Support and reassurance Provide hope Facilitate connections

It doesn’t stop when you walk out that door, you can still, these people give a damn and you give a damn about them. “Yeah there is, collective wisdom, like between all of us here, collectively we have an awful lot of wisdom” EQUALITY

* Equality and Mutuality * “It was you know, you get fed up of everyone helping you.. People need to help others as well for a sense of value” * Yeah, there is collective wisdom, like between all of us here collectively, we have an awful lot of wisdom

Also, they don’t shut themselves away in the office… I think that’s really important. That they actually come out and sit in the lounge…watch TV with us…help us baking, or whatever…and cards. And when they’ve acknowledged who they are they walk with you in all the aspects of your life not just in the mental and when someone does that, you don’t just become a mental illness. You actually become a person. It’s absolutely key towards recovery in my opinion, absolutely key.

“It’s personalised, like I get other support through addictions and things, but this is personalised, so like you say, it’s more holistic you’re whole, your entire person not just on the specific issue”. “ And start walking my own path. And peer support was a huge help in that. I found the spirituality before that but my peer support worker wasn’t afraid to go where I wanted to go with that.” “I believe it’s because of the support that I had from my peer support worker and I decided that this year was gonna be totally focussed on my health and wellbeing. “

Support and Reassurance And one of the big things that I’ve found with my support worker is she’s such a good reference point. like when I go off somewhere she’ll bring me back to the reference point. And it’s so good.

But for me personally, each and every one of these people in this room, I could walk up to and say I need a hug, I live alone, I just need a hug, I need to be able to have the freedom to cry and not to be judged for it, so there’s a lot of aroha here, just so much love and compassion, unbelievable, if you’ve got a problem you can bring it here and it will stay here. Being with her and I just think it helps me accept myself and also there’s an acceptance with the darker side of things that you just wanna shut off, and not deal with and you know, that sits there allowing that darker side to be acknowledged actually takes …some weight out of it.

* It’s like they come from compassion, rather than…you know, a medical perspective. * “the respect that they gave us when we were in the respite meant more than, it means the whole gamut of what you’ve written up there..” (Referring to the notes taken during the focus group)

“I mean, like they supported me…like going home to be with my children, and stuff. Even though I wasn’t very well, you know, at the time..they really treat you as a person, and look at your life, and see what they can do to help you in your life… it’s not just one size fits all.”

“You’re always connected to the network, you know it’s like a lifetime connection with you, you graduate or you get exited doesn’t mean to say you have no part, you’re part of a network..” “This is a close group. we come here…and you know we discuss…you know, our problems…and then sit back and we…and we listen…and try to work things out. You’ve got a good support team here.”

“I can just go to one of the staff really..and building that friendship.. and that trust and they might not have the answer but they might have a suggestion” “ We celebrate each other’s successes and we’re there for the failures.. anyone in this room would be welcome to ring me up 24/7 and I’ll be there like that…you know cause that’s what it’s all about”

* “A big thing, which is… is everything to do with here …is actually hope.” * I feel really valued when I come here. People believe in me. And…that gives me the courage…I get the courage from that to believe in myself. “.” “I don’t know about you guys but basically they saved my life” Provide Hope

* “ we’re constantly evolving and changing. Now what I was like five years ago, and what I’m like today is huge. And I couldn’t have predicted it in a million years because I’ve evolved so much that I’m a totally different person. My coping strategies are better you know, it’s endless”

“You know, I’ve had I’ve been in mental health services for years. I’ve had psychiatrists and keyworkers psychologists you name it, I’ve had it. And then I’ve had a peer support worker. And that’s the first person I’ve worked with, who I actually became a person to rather than a problem that needed helping.” “one of the…strongest things from peer support is their ability to normalise you as a person.”

“You can’t put a price on it, it’s really something that we absolutely need and it’s top of the pinnacle,,, I mean God comes first in my life but Junction is second.. “ “It’s the bud of something very, very special that is better than anything’s ever been before”

No “recipe” but clear principles Challenges self-stigma Recovery is role modelled Services are needs focused, tailored, diverse

* Focus groups were a useful process and “mirror” what peers support does. * Group work is important for further research * Peer services are highly valued and work really well- but they are hard to access * Peer services are not yet accepted in clinical settings

Organised Support Shared Experience Respect Shared Responsibility Mutual Agreement

We know people value peer support and it saves lives. But many people don’t even know it exists. What can peer services do about this? How can peer services preserve the nature of peer support?