CMHA North and West Vancouver branch has been working alongside Tsleil-Waututh Nation, First Nations Health Authority and Reciprocal Consulting to pilot peer support initiatives in Indigenous communities in the South Coast region of BC.
Community Wellness Video Series
Kiki and Vanessa, peers from Tsleil-Waututh Nation, speak to their experiences as peer support workers and the value of this work in Indigenous communities.
Defining Peer Support
Sharing Your Story
Peer Support as a Bridge
Developing Your Programming
Reenergizing Wellness Training Manual
A Resource for Peer-Lead Wellness Programs in Indigenous Communities
Download the training manual PDF
Through working alongside our partners, CMHA has had the opportunity to reevaluate our understanding of what peer support means and how it can look. The recommendations presented to you here highlight the learnings of peers doing this work in Indigenous communities in BC. This is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach and must be tailored to individual communities. This resource intends to highlight the importance of relationships and connection to culture as paths to healing and wellness.
Intentions of this resource:
- Demonstrate the importance and value of peer-lead work as filling a gap in clinical work
- Highlight emerging definitions of peer support that are rooted in culture
- Demonstrate how peer work can take shape in community
- Provide a framework for creating or building upon existing peer work in community
- Equip peers with information and resources to support the wellness of their community members
Reenergizing Wellness Community Dinner Toolkit
This toolkit is inspired by Kiki and Vanessa, Tsleil-Waututh Nation community members. Before Tsleil-Waututh Nation had a formal peer support program, Kiki and Vanessa started to host dinners in their homes for their peers. Kiki and Vanessa wanted to start a dialogue about mental health and substance use. Their dinner nights were an opportunity for community members to come together to share a meal, build connections and learn more about wellness topics in a safe and substance free space. This initiative set the foundation for the development of the peer support program at Tsleil-Waututh Nation.