Peer respites provide an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization for people experiencing deep emotional and/or mental distress. They come with many upsides including cost savings, less disruption to someone's life, and the benefit of support and wisdom from others who've been through similar struggles. Peer respites are popping up with increasing frequency across the world. Yet, at the same time their numbers are growing, they continue to be not very well understood. Understanding peer respite is the first key to ensuring that they are developed with integrity, well supported in the community, and accessible to all those who might want to use them. This book provides a comprehensive review of peer respite including: - What is the mission of a peer respite? - Who is it for? - What does a stay at a peer respite look like and how is it different than more conventional services? - What is involved with hiring and developing a peer respite team? - What are some of the likely outcomes and challenges? - And so much more! This book is intended for groups wanting to start up a peer respite (or sustain an existing one), potential funders who are contemplating support of such an effort, and anyone interested in better understanding what peer respite is all about!

"The Peer Power Playbook: A PRS Guide to Mastering Mental Health Support" is an essential guide authored by Srea Jones-Harrington, tailored specifically for Peer Recovery Specialists who are dedicated to playing a pivotal role in mental health recovery. This book serves as an indispensable playbook, empowering peers to fully embrace and excel in their influential roles. Authored by a passionate advocate for self-love, Srea Jones-Harrington brings her foundational principles of self-love to the forefront of mental health recovery support. This connection enriches the book's approach, providing a unique perspective on how self-love can significantly enhance the recovery process and foster deeper, more empathetic engagements with clients. Structured to address the challenges and opportunities inherent in peer recovery, the book covers a comprehensive range of topics. From understanding mental health disorders to mastering effective communication strategies and crisis management, it provides actionable advice and real-world solutions. Each chapter is crafted to build on the last, culminating in a robust framework for practitioners. "The Peer Power Playbook: A PRS Guide to Mastering Mental Health Support" is more than just a manual; it is a journey through the art and science of peer recovery. It equips readers with the tools necessary to support, inspire, and lead others in their journey towards mental health recovery, all while advocating for the indispensable role of self-love in healing. For anyone committed to making a significant impact in the lives of those they support, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom, strategies, and heartfelt guidance.

This book reflects on what it is like being a peer support specialist. To qualify to be a peer support specialist, one must have a lived experience of mental illness, trauma, and/or substance abuse. As a former mental health provider, I worked with people who struggled daily with mental health challenges. Peer support gives them the opportunity to talk with someone who understands, empathizes with and validates their struggles. Together we nurtured a relationship of mutual support that worked toward personal goals unique to each of our recovery journeys. Through this relationship, we regained hope in a life that thrived. This book chronicles my growth as a peer support specialist and a deepening of my understanding of the peer-to-peer relationship and our shared recovery journeys. The book also reflects on my own struggles with mental illness.

The world of mental health practice has been changed forever by the introduction of peer workers into both the state and the NGO sector. This Practice Guide is a exploration of this new worker by three critical Thinkers. Ron Coleman spent 13 years of his life as a service user in the UK mental health system spending 7.5 years of his life as an inpatient in various hospitals in London and Greater Manchester. His experience of hospital and his journey out of Psychiatry is now reflected in everything he does and you will find some of that experience within the pages of this book. William Ellis has had many roles in his life and has worked in many differing roles within the field of mental health. More importantly William has always been open about the struggles he has gone through and he brings these insights. Karen Taylor spent 17 years as a psychiatric nurse before leaving to work full time with Ron Coleman as a director of Working to Recovery Ltd. This background made Karen an Ideal Author alongside Ron and William It is this three way combination that brings to the market a book that can be seen as different, full of Learning and hope for the future.

This is the second version of this book. It reflects on what it is like being a peer support specialist. To qualify to be a peer support specialist, one must have a lived experience of mental illness, trauma, and/or substance abuse. As a former mental health provider, I worked with people who struggled daily with mental health challenges. Peer support gives them the opportunity to talk with someone who understands, empathizes with, and validates their struggles. Together we nurtured a relationship of mutual support that worked toward personal goals unique to each of our recovery journeys. Through this relationship, we regained hope in a life that thrived. This book chronicles my growth as a peer support specialist and a deepening of my understanding of the peer-to-peer relationship and our shared recovery journeys. Because it is the lived-experience of having mental illness and trauma struggles that provided me with the qualifications for this position, the updated portion of this book covers those issues: my own background of C-PTSD, mental illness, and eleven related hospitalizations, as well as my latest mental health struggles and insights. These experiences paved the way for recognizing in the person facing me a sibling of mental anguish... and offered me the key to that "ah-ha!" moment when they could see in my eyes and hear in my story that "Johnny gets it!" - and a connection was made.

Therapeutic Advances, PLLC is one of the state approved training companies for Peer Support Certification. Our manuals and courses have influenced and taught hundreds of people supportive skills for certification as a North Carolina Peer Support Specialist and as a Peer Recovery Coach. This textbook has been used with training courses and college programs. Topics covered in the manual include code of ethics, peer support history, recovery stages, mental illness, documentation, substance abuse, wellness tools, recovery, crisis intervention, etc.