Peer mentors and groups

Making positive changes in your life is always easier when you have other people to support you.

We have peer mentors at many of our services to support and guide you.

Peer support from mentors and groups

Peer support is about people with similar experiences coming together to help and inspire each other.

It could mean getting together regularly with a group of people who’ve all faced the same challenges. Or, it could mean one-to-one support from a mentor who helps you to meet your own goals.

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If you want to make positive changes in your life, support and guidance from other people can make a big difference to your journey.

In fact, there’s evidence that peer support helps people to feel more confident and positive about changing the direction of their life. It helps people to feel less lonely and isolated, and can give them the inspiration they're looking for. For people recovering from an addiction, it can play a big part in their recovery.

How we use peer support

At our services, you can get peer support from groups and from peer mentors.

Our peer mentors use their own experiences to help others. Many of them have been in recovery themselves, or have used one of our services in the past. Others might have helped a loved one in a similar situation. Volunteering as a peer mentor is a way for people to achieve their own goals, and to give something back by helping others.

Lots of people don’t know what to expect when they first decide to get help. Having someone you can speak to who understands what you might be thinking or feeling can help you to know you’ve made the right choice.

Peer mentors apply through a recruitment process, and are given accredited training to make sure they’re prepared for their new role.

If you are currently attending one of our services and would like to work with a peer mentor, please speak to a member of staff or a volunteer. They can help you explore your options.

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What other peer support is available?

There are also lots of other options for getting group support. Some of them involve therapy that focuses on thoughts and behaviour, such as SMART recovery. Others like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous focus on support from other people with similar experiences.

You can find some of the peer support available below.