CMHA P.E.I. and UPEI partnering to offer peer support worker training at Prince County location
CHARLOTTETOWN – The P.E.I. division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is partnering with UPEI to offer peer support worker training in Prince County.
In a Feb. 3 release, CMHA P.E.I. announced that it is accepting applications for the 119-hour training program, which includes applied suicide intervention skills training, two weeks of in-person training, a practicum and a written and oral exam.
CMHA P.E.I. said the training program will teach people how to use their personal experience with mental illness or addiction to help others in their recovery.
Up to 15 candidates will be chosen for the training program, which will start in spring 2022. The location of the training will be determined based on COVID-19 restrictions in the spring. There is a fee of $1,000 for each successful applicant, which includes a certification fee through UPEI.
Anyone who completes the program will be added to a P.E.I. peer support community of practice to help continue developing their skills.
The peer support program has seen significant growth and an increase in clients since it launched in 2018, CMHA P.E.I. said. “The impact that the peer support program has had on Islanders, provincewide, has been monumental,” said Julia Ramsay, CMHA’s manager of community outreach and education.
“CMHA P.E.I.’s hope with offering this certification is to continue to have trained certified peer support specialists who can continue aiding in an individual’s well-being and their journey to recovery.
Targeting rural areas with this spring training will ensure that our services are meeting the needs of individuals provincewide.” Nine people graduated from the specialized peer support training in fall 2021, creating five new CMHA peer support workers.
Those interested in applying for the program can visit www.pei.cmha.ca. More information on the program is available by contacting Ashley Belanger-Birt through email at a.belanger-birt@cmha.pe.ca.