The Diabetes and Mental Health Peer Support Project has launched the first in a series of newsletters to increase awareness about the value of mental health peer support in diabetes prevention and self-management strategies. This inaugural newsletter focuses on peer support by providing a definition, an interview with a peer support trainer and an update of the project’s progress.
Diabetes and Mental Health Peer Support is a two-year project (2010-2012) to provide diabetes competency training for Ontario mental health peer supporters, and to build connections among the diabetes and chronic disease health care sectors, consumer/survivor initiatives and the community mental health sectors.
The project is a collaborative partnership between Ontario Peer Development Initiative (OPDI); the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario; the Provincial Consumer/Survivor Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Leads Network and Christine Grace and Community, with funding provided by the Lawson Health Research Institute.
See www.diabetesandmentalhealth.ca for more information and to subscribe to the project newsletter.