by Colene Allen & Calvin Prowse.

On May 9, 2023, during the PeerWorks Annual Conference, we facilitated a “dreaming together” networking session / workshop on the topic of possible pathways for career advancement within the peer sector. During this workshop, we posed a series of questions to participants to explore and brainstorm through small group discussion. These questions explored current and possible pathways for advancement both within and beyond the peer sector, as well as how our lived experience and peer support can be an asset in other fields.  

We each came to develop this workshop based on our own unique backgrounds, perspectives, and wonderings, as well as through a shared concern about the limited opportunities for advancement within the peer field. Colene has drifted in and out of both paid and volunteer peer support roles, as well as roles in other sectors where lived experience and peer support values and skills have been an  asset. Calvin’s interest in this topic came from their MA research on peer support futures, as well as their own uncertainty about the next steps of their career within the peer sector. Colene wanted to explore how other roles can function as entry points into peer work, and Calvin wanted to explore possible new roles within the peer field. 

This “dreaming together” workshop provided an opportunity for us to explore the current state of the peer sector as well as its possible futures alongside conference attendees… Continue Reading on the PeerWorks Blog