Peer Support
We can all benefit from a little help from our friends
2 MINDS is a peer support project which aims to help people feel less isolated in their community. It offers one to one support and encouragement to people along their recovery journey, helping them to make positive changes for themselves.
What we offer and how you can use the service
The 2 MINDS project is run by trained Peer Mentors who have first hand experience of a mental health problem. Having had their own experiences, they have a real understanding of the struggles and difficulties people can face when living with a mental health problem.
Our Peer Mentors are carefully matched to people and offer the chance for them to experience a relationship with someone who will listen to how they feel, offering emotional and practical support along the way.
People have been supported by their Peer Mentor's to achieve a wide range of goals. These range from overcoming fears of using the bus, to accessing a computer course, to joining a local zumba class.
For the Peer Mentors, the work they do enables them to feel they are giving something back and that they are doing something meaningful. For some Peer Mentors, the experience of helping others has caused them to reassess their own goals and we have seen 5 of them progress into paid employment.
All 16 of the Peer Mentors are volunteers and receive ongoing support, training and supervision.
Our training course
Worthing and Arun Mind is a recognised OCN training centre. We provide accredited training to all Peer Mentors to enable their work as part of the 2 MINDS project. The Peer Mentors complete a 10 week training course - OCN Level 1 in Peer Mentoring and Personal Development. This is comparable to NVQ Level 1, a GCSE D-G and Foundation Diploma.
Upon completing the course, Peer Mentors have reported an increase in self confidence and a greater sense of self awareness. We have delivered this course both internally and to other organisations.
For more details please contact:
Gemma Davis
Marketing and New Initiatives Manager
Mind Offices Worthing
83 Little High Street
Worthing BN11 1DH
Tel: 01903 603092
Email: gemma.davis@worthingmind.org
Thank you to Opportunities for Volunteering for funding this project.
Case Study
I was referred to the 2 MINDS project because I wanted support to help build up my life outside of Worthing and Arun Mind. I was given a Peer Mentor who was professional, helpful and very easy to get on with; it felt like we were good friends. They supported me to join the library and take out book about things I used to be interested in before I became unwell; it reminded me of my old self.
Most recently following a suggestion from my Peer Mentor about whether I was interested in voluntary work, I started volunteering in a local charity shop. I am really enjoying it and find the work incredibly therapeutic.
The experience of being with a Peer Mentor has been great because slowly I am getting back on my old path and becoming more positive about things.
