Providing Peer Support and Managing Your Own Health Challenges

STRATEGIES TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE PEER SUPPORT AS YOU MANAGE YOUR OWN PHYSICAL HEALTH CHALLENGES

While providing effective healing peer support, many of us are dealing with physical illnesses that at times challenge our overall ability to remain engaged in our work as peer supporters. These physical health conditions may have a direct impact over the peer support activities we deliver and their effectiveness. These challenges range from: being able to be physically and mentally present for our peers, being able to comprehend information shared, becoming easily distracted and not being able to identify common ground to establish wellness connections, mutuality, a healing environment, among other things.

Understanding this reality, which is more common that many people realize, will allow us to to identify strategies to manage our physical health challenges more easily and to remain effective at our roles as peer support workers.

This 6 hour – 2 days’ workshop will facilitate the following learning objectives:

  • ACKNOWLEDGE and VALIDATE  how profound is the impact of our own health challenges over our body and mind wellness. (Diabetes, Lupus, Asthma, Mobility challenges, Memory challenges, among others)
  • IDENTIFY one specific area of your health that you noticed that have had a direct impact on our ability to be an effective supporter. (Poor concentration, low energy levels, feeling disoriented, need of frequent food intake, body aches and pain, medications side effects, etc.)
  • STRATEGIES to remain effective peer’s supporters:
  1. PLANNING - a tool to pace your day flow and fulfill work requirements.
  2. Be REALISTIC about how much and what you can do.
  3. PACK & BRING whatever it is that you need to have a successful day. (Medication, food, a practical wellness tool, a warm jacket, etc.)
  4. REMAIN CONNECTED – be intentional about respecting the boundaries of your support role as you find mutuality with your peer.
  5. ROLE MODEL – resiliency, patience with yourself and your peer, how to self-advocate, when to end session and practice self-care.
     

Time: Live online sessions will be 6 total hours.

Requirements:  Participants need access to computers with internet access and video capabilities.  Reading materials, online discussions, questions and life work assignments will be required throughout this course. The online sessions need to be secured so arriving on-time is critical.  Full participation is required for the full certificate at the end of the course.