What is peer support?

Peer support happens when people who have similar experiences of something difficult come together to support each other. We specialise in experiences of mental health difficulties, trauma, or other forms of social or emotional distress. However, people involved in peer support will also have other shared characteristics, experiences, and interests. Peer support differs from other forms of mental health services and support in important ways.

Crucially, the people involved play an active role in creating a safe environment for each other. In this space, people can use their shared experiences to give and receive support from each other. It is through the development of meaningful, two-way relationships that peer support works. People can feel less alone if they talk about their experiences and share coping strategies that work for them. By doing this, peers can help each other learn about how best to manage feelings and experiences that are difficult.

Every participant who joins our Peer Support Service works with a dedicated PSW on a 1:2:1 basis. Our participants are all facing challenges with things such as anxiety, depression, personality disorder or many other forms of emotional distress which is preventing them from leading a full and fulfilled life. Our PSW’s also have lived experience of these things but are further along their own journey in finding ways to cope with such challenges.

The Tad Project compiled an article looking at Clinical vs Peer Support highlighting the improved outcomes through peer support rather than clinical. To read the article click the link here to open it.

Please get in touch if you would like to refer someone to our Peer Support Service at [email protected] or you can refer directly using the following form:

Peer Support Referral Form

Please use the following form to request support from our peer support service. If you are in crisis and require immediate support, please call 111 for mental health services

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Referral Pathway *

• Self referral
• Referral from organisation or GP
• Other

Name of referrer *

First

Last

Referrer contact number *

Relationship to person being referred *

Did you obtain consent to make this referral? *

• Yes
• No

We cannot process referrals where there is no consent

Title *

• Mr
• Ms
• Mrs
• Miss
• Dr
• Prefer not to say
• Not listed

Name *

First

Last

Contact number *

Email

Date of birth *

Current Address *

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State / Province / Region

Postal Code

--- Select country ---AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia (Plurinational State of)Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo (Democratic Republic of the)Cook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatini (Kingdom of)EthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic Republic of)IraqIreland (Republic of)Isle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea (Democratic People's Republic of)Korea (Republic of)KosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia (Federated States of)Moldova (Republic of)MonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth Macedonia (Republic of)Northern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine (State of)PanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Republic of ChinaTajikistanTanzania (United Republic of)ThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluTürkiyeUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City StateVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)VietnamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland IslandsCountry

Preferred method of contact *

• Phone
• Email
• Other

If other, please specify *

Brief outline of yourself and why you are referring *

Data Protection and Confidentiality

Mind in West Essex adheres to the Data Protection Act 2018’s principles of good information handling and the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2018.

This means that your information will be:

• Fairly and lawfully processed
• Processed for limited purposes
• Adequate, relevant and not excessive
• Accurate and up-to-date, not kept for longer than necessary, and secure.

Please indicate below if you consent to Mind in West Essex collecting, recording and processing your personal data for the purpose of providing you with support and to ensure your health, safety and wellbeing. Mind in West Essex will use your information appropriately and in line with our Privacy Policy which you can see here: Privacy Policy.

Your details will not be shared with anyone else without your consent. If you have any concerns or questions about how your personal data is collected and used, please ring our office on 01371 876641 or email [email protected]. 

Single checkbox field *

• Please tick the box to confirm you agree with the above statement

Submit