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Peer-to-Peer is a unique, experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in
establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery.
Each class contains a combination of lecture and interactive exercise material and closes with Mindfulness Practice
(techniques offered to develop and expand awareness). Each class builds on the one before: attendance each week,
therefore, is required.
establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery.
- The course was written by Kathryn Cohan McNulty, a person with a psychiatric disability who is also a former
provider and manager in the mental health field and a longtime mutual support group member and facilitator. - An advisory board comprised of NAMI consumer members, in consultation with Joyce Burland, Ph.D., author of the
successful NAMI Family-to-Family Education program, helped guide the curriculum’s development. - Since 2005, NAMI’s Peer-to-Peer Recovery Program has been supported by AstraZeneca.
Each class contains a combination of lecture and interactive exercise material and closes with Mindfulness Practice
(techniques offered to develop and expand awareness). Each class builds on the one before: attendance each week,
therefore, is required.
What is Peer-to-Peer?
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A free 9-week course for consumers containing individual relapse prevention planning, a debriefing/storytelling week,
and an advance directive for psychiatric care.
and an advance directive for psychiatric care.
The course includes:
Week-by-Week:
- Peer-to-Peer consists of nine two-hour units and is taught by a team of three trained “Mentors” who are personally experienced at living well with mental
illness. - Mentors are trained in weekend-long training sessions, supplied with teaching manuals, and are paid a stipend for each course they teach.
- Participants come away from the course with a binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources: an advance directive; a “relapse
prevention plan” to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior, or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention;
mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking; and survival skills for working with providers and the general public.
Week-by-Week:
- Week One: Introductions; Stigma, Discrimination, Trauma; Begin Relapse Prevention Planning; Mindfulness
- Week Two: Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Borderline Personality Disorder; Thoughts, Feelings, Sleep; Continue Relapse Prevention
Planning; Mindfulness - Week Three: Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Senses, Behavior; Continue Relapse Prevention Planning;
Mindfulness - Week Four: Story Telling
- Week Five: Language, Emotions, Personal Mayhem; Continue Relapse Prevention Planning; Mindfulness
- Week Six: Addictions, Spirituality, Why Medicate? Physical Health; Complete Relapse Prevention Plans; Mindfulness
- Week Seven: "Real World" Coping Strategies; Staying Safe, Begin Advance Directive, Cultural Questions; Mindfulness
- Week Eight: Family Guest Speaker; Relationships, Allies, "Hot Buttons"; Keeping Safe, Continue Advance Directive; Mindfulness
- Week Nine: Empowerment, Advocacy; "Complete" Advance Directive; Evaluation; Closing Mindfulness
What does the course include?
More information regarding the NAMI Peer-to-Peer education program, including personal stories
and news from the field, is available at NAMI national's (our national affiliate) website:
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
You can also contact your local affiliate, or contact NAMI Arizona and ask to speak with the
Program Director about NAMI Peer-to-Peer.
and news from the field, is available at NAMI national's (our national affiliate) website:
http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Peer-to-Peer
You can also contact your local affiliate, or contact NAMI Arizona and ask to speak with the
Program Director about NAMI Peer-to-Peer.
For more information...
You can (like with all other NAMI Arizona programs) contact your local affiliate to
register for a class and/or sign-up to be on a waiting list for upcoming classes.
register for a class and/or sign-up to be on a waiting list for upcoming classes.
How can I attend a class?
Yes. If you are interested in teaching NAMI Peer-to-Peer, please (like with all other NAMI Arizona
programs) contact your local affiliate to indicate your interest in being trained as a NAMI Peer-to-Peer
mentor. If your local affiliates is involved in this program (not all affiliates are currently hosting this
program), they will record your interest and contact you when the next training is being scheduled.
programs) contact your local affiliate to indicate your interest in being trained as a NAMI Peer-to-Peer
mentor. If your local affiliates is involved in this program (not all affiliates are currently hosting this
program), they will record your interest and contact you when the next training is being scheduled.
Can I be involved in teaching this class?
Some local affiliates in Arizona host the NAMI Peer-to_peer
course not just in English, but Spanish as well. Please contact
your local affiliates to inquire if they offer NAMI Peer-to-Peer in
Spanish.
course not just in English, but Spanish as well. Please contact
your local affiliates to inquire if they offer NAMI Peer-to-Peer in
Spanish.
de Persona a Persona
What people are saying about the NAMI Peer-to-Peer Recovery Education Course: "Peer-to-Peer teaches in nine weeks what it took me 20 years to figure out for myself." – Consumer, CA "Very powerful message. I am impressed with entire curriculum. A LOT of different tools for recovery were part of the class, allowing for CHOICE." – Consumer, IA “The Peer to Peer Course was a good source of information, I have no doubt that I will use the information in the 3 ring binder in future times of need” – Consumer, AZ “It has opened the doors of possibilities and I am ready to explore each one” – Consumer, AZ “It has helped me to be able to share with others, my feelings, concerns, and thoughts that I have been dealing with in my life. I am not alone. I am wanting to be more involved with NAMI and I have made new friends. It has taken the dear away some because I understand more about the illness. Opened up to new things, change, mindfulness to appreciate what is around me, how to express myself better, how to make a difference” – Consumer, AZ “It was wonderful. I loved it so much that I did not want it to end” – Consumer, AZ |