Mental health CEO visits Toowoomba
NATIONAL Mental Health Commission CEO Dr Peggy Brown yesterday helped launch the Mountains of Hope Peer Support Network in Toowoomba.
MoHPN aims to provide peer specialists - people with lived experience of mental health - to support people who experience mental illness, their families, friends and carers and the wider community of the Toowoomba region.
The brainchild of Toowoomba mental health advocate Michael Burge OAM, and created with the help of his colleagues, the group is striving to become a leading professional body of registered peer specialists.
“I don’t think I would be here today if I wasn’t able to reach out and speak with a peer worker when I needed to,” Mr Burge said.
“It is imperative that we look after this workforce they offer a great deal with regards to suicide prevention because they used their lived experience to help other people.”
The not-for-profit, community-managed organisation will maintain a register of suitably trained and experienced specialists.
Mr Burge is encouraging those interested to contact mountainsofhopetoowoomba@gmail.com and fill out an expression of interest form to be considered for
selection.
Successful applicants will make up a network of 40 peer workers to begin with.
Mr Burge said GPs and other organisations had already expressed interest in having peer workers support them in their work.