Chronic Illness Alliance - Peer Support Network

Best Practice Framework

Acknowledgements

This Best Practice Framework was prepared for the Chronic Illness Peer Support Network by Jan Hayes and Mary Cahill from the Oxfam Skillshare program. We are very grateful to them both for so generously providing their considerable time and expertise.

We would also like to acknowledge and thank members of the Chronic Illness Peer Support Network who contributed input and advice: Cameron Algie (Vision Australia), Jo Fairbairn (Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia), Kate Gilbert (Type 1 Diabetes Network), Gayle Homann (MS Australia ACT/NSW/Vic), Nina Smith (LifeMoves), & Trish Waters (The Cancer Council of Victoria).

1. Introduction

A peer support program provides a structured environment in which people who share the same chronic illness or condition can safely share their experiences. Research shows that talking with someone who has been through a similar experience may make all the difference. Peer support has a wide range of both practical and emotional benefits. Many people with a chronic illness (especially those recently diagnosed) benefit from receiving practical tips about adjustments they can make to their day-to-day living to better manage their condition. The emotional benefit of realising that one is not alone cannot be overstated and paradoxically this often inspires peers to become more independent. More experienced peers may also be empowered by being able to pass on their skills and experience and in the process remind themselves of all they have learned about dealing with their condition.

This best practice framework aims to set out some of the guiding principles behind development and operation of peer support programs. Whilst the overall goals of peer support programs are generally similar, programs can vary significantly in design. In some of these peer support arrangements, there is no clear division between those receiving support and those providing it – the focus is one of informal mutual support by sharing knowledge and experience. In other cases, those providing support have been selected and trained and have a distinctly different role to those being supported. In the latter case, whilst all those involved are peers, in that they experience the same condition, we have called those providing support “volunteers” and those being supported “peers”.

These guidelines have been specifically written with peer support for people with chronic illness in mind. We believe that the same issues apply to peer support for those with a disability and for carers of those with a chronic illness or disability.

2. How to use the framework

This framework was written with several different audiences in mind.

On the one hand, some organisations are looking for ideas to start a peer support program. They may already be in contact with a range of people who have a specific illness or condition and perhaps are thinking of establishing a formal process of peer support. We hope that this document will provide organisations like this with some ideas about what is possible under the general banner of peer support and help you to determine how you could most be of service to your peers, members or network. Once you have decided that you want to proceed, we believe we have provided some useful pointers to get you on your way to a successful peer support program.

On the other hand, there are other organisations that already run significant peer support activities. Many of you have been generous in providing input to this document and we are very grateful for that. This document is a distillation of all the programs described to us, plus our own experience and various relevant reference materials. For you, we have provided a checklist in the form of a set of questions at the end of each section. If your program covers all the issues raised you can be sure you are well on your way to best practice in peer support.

Of course there are also organisations that are part of the way along this road - with a program in place but looking for ideas of how to improve or expand the support offered. We hope this document will provide you with some new ideas, too.

We would emphasise that the final arbiters in what constitutes effective peer support are always the peers themselves, so we encourage you to continue to seek feedback and listen to what they tell you they find useful, and what else they may need.

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