Read the full booklet including the Charter here:

 

For more information about endorsing the Charter:

 

Has your organisation endorsed the Charter? Particularly if you provide peer support services, please do so to strengthen its significance as a collective advocacy tool and a widely recognised statement by community-based peer support services. 

The Charter is intended to: 

• Help key stakeholders to understand and appreciate the value and power of peer support as a means of preventing the escalation of mental health issues and promoting emotional, physical and spiritual well-being
• Highlight the validity and value of peer support as an integral method of service delivery for consumers and carers of mental health services
• Promote peer support services as a cost effective part of the mental health system
• Promote consumer and carer involvement, participation and empowerment
• For many people living with a mental illness, clinical health services and formal treatment services, while essential, are not the only means of seeking help. The peer support model is intrinsic to mental health and total well-being because it provides affordable and accessible assistance that is not available in any other way.

 The Charter was developed and written by consumers and families/carers, with assistance and resources from the Mutual Support and Self-Help Consortium

To endorse the Charter of Peer Support, contact the Centre of Excellence on 1300 237 199 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The Centre of Excellence wishes to thank the following organisations for their endorsement of the Charter of Peer Support:

  

www.sane.org	http://www.arafmiaustralia.asn.au	www.beyondblue.org.au
www.jobco.com.au	www.ourconsumerplace.com.au	www.fromtheheartwa.org.au
www.mindaustralia.org.au	www.each.com.au	www.ischs.org.au
www.angelbabies.org.au	www.healforlife.com.au	http://www.lifeis.org.au
www.mentalhealthcarerstas.org.au	www.sidsandkids.org	www.buddycare.co.za
www.livedexperience.org	www.sandsvic.org.au	www.bchs.org.au
www.brookred.org.au	www.support.org.au	http://www.peerzone.info/
www.sharc.org.au	www.thedovecote.org	https://www.peerhear.com.au/

  

Launch of the Charter of Peer Support

The Charter was launched on 21 June 2011 at Federation Square, along with the Centre of Excellence in Peer Support. It was attended by 120 people from the mental health sector, community and government. Speakers included Nick Wakeling, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and project partners Frances Sanders (CEO, ARAFEMI), Tony Gee (Board Member, The Compassionate Friends) and Belinda Horton (Executive Officer, Post and Ante Natal Depression Association). Keynote speaker, Dr Rhonda Galbally AO, spoke about the value of peer support and the need to heal the split and build alliances between consumers and carers in order to achieve major reform. Highlighting the significance of the Charter, Dr Galbally said,

“The grassroots peer support model has been underutilised and undervalued in the past yet it has played an important role in the support of individuals who have been impacted by events, incidents or issues that have disrupted their lives and wellbeing. It’s the first time I have seen the value of peer support clearly articulated and documented in this way.”