Topic: Resilience and peer support in mental health: Let’s start the discussion – Mirika Flegg
Summary: Peer Support has been said to offer opportunities for those with ‘lived experience’ to provide services to those facing similar mental health challenges. Recent research suggests that these services may increase resiliency and improve health outcomes. This Resilience Forum will begin with a review of the existing literature. It will present an overview of policy documents linking peer support, mental health and inequalities. This will follow by a presentation by a peer support-worker discussing their experience in providing services to others. The Forum will then open up to the wider group to talk about what it is about peer support that may help (or hinder) resilience building for those experiencing mental health challenges. Come prepared for an open and lively discussion. Let’s start thinking about what future research might look like.
Biography: Mirika Flegg has collaborated with marginalised groups as a program developer, educator and researcher. She is a founding member of the Sussex Peer Support Network which aims to promote partnership working between peer support groups and the wider community. Mirika was awarded the University of Brighton Excellence in Community Engagement Award for engaging those with personal experiences of health challenges in research. She was awarded Hero’s Medal from the New Zealand Government for developing a youth-for-youth employment model and her advocacy work within Canada resulted in improved supports for youth in care and Aboriginal people.
Who might be most interested: Academics, practitioners, researchers, students, parents, carers, community workers, volunteers, public sector workers, young people, service users, those providing and receiving peer support.
This session took place on Thursday 20 July 2017.
The Resilience Forum is for ANYBODY (with a pulse!) involved with or interested in resilience research!
