Sharing the Recovery Journey Links Peer 2 Peer Pamphlet - For Peer Supporters Peer 2 Peer Pamphlet - For Peers Final Report
Welcome to Peer 2 Peer Wellness Peer 2 Peer Wellness is a program that trains and matches volunteer peer supporters with inpatients at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.
PSO offers a free training course in peer support for consumer-survivors. This course is designed to prepare volunteers for the role of Peer Supporter within the Peer 2 Peer Wellness program, but can also be used for self-development and honing communication skills. Due to space limitations, the majority of training spots are reserved for those interested in becoming Peer Supporters. For more information and/or to register for the next training, contact Heather at ext. 25 or Krista at ext. 34.
About Peer 2 Peer Wellness The goal of Peer 2 Peer Wellness is to provide one-on-one peer support to people receiving inpatient mental health services as they move into the community and build their own recovery. Individuals who are progressing in there own wellness journey are trained in the philosophy of peer support and recovery, as well as patient rights and the skills needed to provide support. Trained peer supporters and people awaiting support are then matched up, provided with a small honorarium to support their meetings and have access to a Peer Support Coordinator for additional assistance. Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) classes are available to both the peer and peer supporter to provide additional recovery tools.
About the Project It began as a pilot project, funded through the Change Foundation in partnership with the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (ROHCG) from November 2005 to October 2007 to study the effect of peer support and wellness plans on a person’s mental health recovery. (See the final report here). The project now receives ongoing funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through the Champlain Local Health Integration Network.
Peer Support training is offered to current and ex-mental health service users in the Ottawa area. This 10-day course is led by trained PSO facilitators. The first six days focuses on general peer supporter skills followed by a 4-day orientation to the role of Peer Supporter within the Peer 2 Peer Wellness program. Once trained, peer supporters are matched with an inpatient of the Royal Ottawa’s schizophrenia or mood disorders unit. These peer partnerships meet on a weekly basis, either at the hospital or in the community. In addition to providing an understanding ear and friendship, peer supporters can assist their peer by sharing community resources, doing activities together and supporting them in developing a personal Wellness Recovery Action Plan. WRAP’s are essentially an individual and self-created plan to achieve and maintain wellness.
PSO and other partners in the community provide free courses on creating a personal WRAP. To see available classes in the Champlain area click on the WRAP link in the sidebar.
The Peer 2 Peer Wellness program includes a research component, evaluating the effects of peer support and WRAP on willing peer participants to see if and how it affects their hospitalization usage and general feeling of wellness. It is hoped that the positive benefits of peer support and wellness plans will result in less hospitalization and a more meaningful life for the participants.
Questions about the program? Contact either Heather at Krista at or ext. 34
Family WRAP Has someone in close to you been diagnosed with a mental illness? Do you wonder how to help this person? Is your concern and care for others leaving you with little time or energy to care for yourself?
Family WRAP is a practical self-help recovery education series focused on: gaining control in your own life through self-care and understanding of self-care for the loved one; gaining a sense of control in the family as a unit and family self-care, understanding recovery concepts and sharing resources tools and strategies. For info on WRAP or Family WRAP in the Ottawa/Champlain Region or to start a group contact Melissa at x 32 or
WRAP
About WRAP® WRAP is a self-managed recovery planning process developed by a group of people who have mental health difficulties and who learned to incorporate wellness tools and strategies into their lives. Designed to decrease and prevent troubling feelings and behaviours, increase personal empowerment, improving the quality of life and assist people in achieving their own goals and dreams. The Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) has been used by thousands of people as a guide to manage mental health challenges and get more out of life. WRAP is a structured plan developed by YOU. It is a system that you devise for yourself that helps you work through challenges or life issues. People who are using WRAP say:
“It helps me feel prepared.”
“I feel better more often and I’m able to improve the overall quality of my life.”
WRAP was developed by Mary Ellen Copeland based on her own lived experience and that of hundreds of consumer-survivors she interviewed. WRAP provides a framework from which a person can create a written plan of action to deal with symptoms and difficult times. It is designed to complement a person's recovery rather than replace other therapies.
WRAP is designed to:
Decrease and prevent intrusive or troubling feelings and behaviors
Increase personal empowerment
Improve quality of life
Assist people in achieving their own life goals and dreams
Key Recovery Concepts of WRAP
Hope
Personal responsibility
Education
Self-advocacy
Support
WRAP Includes:
Wellness toolbox
Daily maintenance plan
Identifying triggers and an action plan
Identifying early warning signs and an action plan
Signs that things are breaking down and an action plan
Crisis planning
Post crisis planning
Recovery Topics
The course and training materials are free. If you wish to explore this means of recovery, created by fellow consumer/survivors, please call early to register as class size is limited. Upcoming WRAP Classes PSO offers free Wellness Recovery Action Plan® (WRAP) courses year-round.
The next WRAP series is to be announced. If you are interested in this 8 week program, please register Melissa at or
To learn more about WRAP? Visit the Copeland Center Website at Copeland Center Other Area WRAP Courses
Mood Disorders Ottawa ()
Royal Ottawa Hospital ( x6770)
CMHA Ottawa Branch ( x173)
Ottawa Salus ()
Montfort Hospital ()
CMHA East – Cornwall Branch ()
Prescott-Russell ACT Team Casselman ( )
Pembroke ACT Team ()
NOTE: Some of the above WRAP programs are only open to clients of that particular agency.
