This manual is a facilitator’s training guide aimed at mental health workers who train young people to become peer support workers within early psychosis services.
Peer support programs in early psychosis services recognises that young people with lived experience are in an ideal place to provide valued support to other young people experiencing similar issues. By sharing their experience of a psychotic episode and their involvement with an early psychosis service, peer support workers help enable optimism for other young people and their families. Peer support workers are the greatest asset of the program and need to be given the resources, skills and support to contribute to it in a meaningful way for them and other young people. Effectively training them is an essential part of a successful peer support program.