Date: Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 Time: 4:00pm-6pm

Location: The Krasman Centre, 10121 Yonge Street

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is funding this project to inform provincial policy makers, funders and other stakeholders of the value of mental health peer support, and to give them guidance on how to strengthen peer support in their respective provinces.  A group of international consultants with lived experience are gathering the information needed. We are inviting anyone who uses mental health peer support, delivers peer support, or has some relationship with a peer support initiative to come to this focus group to talk about your views and experiences of peer support. There is a package of questions for you to consider prior to attending. Don’t be daunted as all of them may not apply to the type of peer support you are involved with.

The Central LHIN Consumer/Survivor Network is excited to provide this training opportunity to groups and individuals seeking to develop and explore the possibilities of alternative responses to crisis and alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization.

What is Intentional Peer Support?

Intentional Peer Support is a way of thinking about purposeful relationships. It is a process where people (or a group of people) use the relationship to look at things from new angles, develop greater awareness of personal and relational patterns, and to support and challenge each other as we try new things. IPS has been used in crisis respite (alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization), by peers, mental health professionals, families, friends and community-based organizations.

Dates:  Monday August 31st to Friday September 4th, 2009 – 9am to 5pm daily

Location:  M.L. McConaghy Senior’s Centre 10100 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, ON Room 205

Registration Fees: covers cost of course, written materials and daily lunch

Consumer/Survivors Peers Working in the field per person — $500.00 Mainstream Ally Organizations per person — $750.00

There are a few subsized spots available for peers not currently working in the field.  For more information or to register, contact Theresa Claxton by telephone at 647-203-3726, or by email at: clhincsnetwork@gmail.com