<!doctypehtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"><html lang=en><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8"http-equiv=Content-Type><title>
   What is Intentional Peer Support? | NCMHR
  </title><meta content="NCMHR,National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery, National Coalition for Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations,NCMHCSO,Lauren Spiro, Mental Health,Dan Fisher"name=keywords><meta content="National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery"name=description><meta content=index,follow name=robots><link href=main.css rel=stylesheet><link href=p7pmm/p7PMMh08.css media=all rel=stylesheet><body><a name=Top> </a><div align=center><table style="border-style: solid"border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 class=layouttable><tbody><tr><td colspan=1 id=topnav>| <a href=contact.htm> Contact Us </a> | <a href=donations.htm> Donations </a> | <a href=privacy.htm> Privacy Policy </a> | <a href=search.htm> Search Tool </a> |<tr><td align=center><a href=index.htm> <img alt="National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery | NCMHR"border=0 height=149 src=graphics/NCMHRLogo732.jpg width=732> </a><tr><td> <script src=p7pmm/p7PMMscripts.js></script> <link href=p7pmm/p7PMMh08.css media=all rel=stylesheet> <div class="p7PMMh08 p7PMMnoscript"id=p7PMM_1><ul class=p7PMM><li><a href=index.htm> Home </a><li><a href=#> News </a> <div><ul><li><a href=news.htm> National Coalition News </a><li><a href=press-releases.htm> Press Releases </a></ul></div><li><a href=#> Issues </a> <div><ul><li><a href=public-policy.htm> NCMHR Public Policy </a><li><a href=activism.htm> Activism </a><li><a href=communication.htm> Communication to the Public </a><li><a href=cross-disability.htm> Cross-Disability </a><li><a href=history.htm> Disability History </a><li><a href=ect.htm> Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) </a><li><a href=forced-treatment.htm> Forced Treatment </a><li><a href=medicaid.htm> Medicaid </a><li><a href=parity.htm> Parity </a><li><a href=peer-run-respite.htm> Peer Run Respite </a><li><a href=peer.htm> Peer Support & Peers Working in Traditional Systems </a><li><a href=recovery.htm> Recovery </a><li><a href=seclusion.htm> Seclusion and Restraint </a><li><a href=seclusion.htm> Self-Determination </a><li><a href=spirituality.htm> Spirituality </a><li><a href=cemetery.htm> State Hospital Cemetery Restoration </a><li><a href=transformation.htm> Transformation </a><li><a href=trauma.htm> Trauma </a><li><a href=vote.htm> Vote Resources </a><li><a href=intentional-peer-support.htm> What is Intentional Peer Support? </a><li><a href=working-with-law-enforcement.htm> Working with Law Enforcement </a></ul></div><li><a href=#> About </a> <div><ul><li><a href=who-we-are.htm> Board Members and Staff </a><li><a href=how-formed.htm> Formation of the Coalition </a><li><a href=purpose.htm> Statement of Purpose </a><li><a href=priorities.htm> Policy Priorities </a><li><a href=meetings.htm> Meetings </a><li><a href=past-events.htm> Past Events </a></ul></div><li><a href=#> Membership </a> <div><ul><li><a href=members.htm> Members </a><li><a href=membership.htm> Membership Information </a><li><a href=/membership-application.htm> Membership Applications </a><li><a href=networking-regions.htm> NC Networking Regions </a></ul></div><li><a href=#> Health Care Reform </a> <div><ul><li><a href=affordable-care-act/index.htm> Affordable Care Act </a><li><a href=affordable-care-act/aca-101.htm> ACA 101 </a><li><a href=affordable-care-act/enrollment.htm> Enrollment </a><li><a href=affordable-care-act/grant-information-work-opportunities.htm> Grant Information and Work Opportunities </a><li><a href=affordable-care-act/advocate-for-systems-transformation.htm> Advocate for Systems Transformation </a></ul></div><li><a href=#> Resources </a> <div><ul><li><a href=resources.htm> Resources </a><li><a href=legislators.htm> Contact your DC Legislators </a><li><a href=ndla.htm> National Disability Leadership Alliance </a><li><a href=mh-block-grant.htm> MH Block Grant </a></ul></div><li><a href=alternatives.htm> Alternatives </a></ul><div class=p7pmmclearfloat> </div><script><!--
P7_PMMop('p7PMM_1',1,0,-5,-5,0,0,0,1,0,3,1,1,0,0,0);
//--></script></div> <tr><td height=600 id=maincontent> <h1 style="text-align: center">What is Intentional Peer Support?</h1> <p>Intentional Peer Support is a way of thinking about purposeful relationships. It is a process where both people (or a group of people) use the relationship to look at things from new angles, develop greater awareness of personal and relational patterns, and to support and challenge each other as we try new things. IPS has been used in crisis respite (alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization), by peers, mental health professionals, families, friends and community-based organizations.</p> <p>IPS is different from traditional service relationships because:</p> <ul><li>It doesn’t start with the assumption of “a problem.” Instead people are taught to listen for how and why each of us has learned to make sense of our experiences, and then use the relationship to create new ways of seeing, thinking, and doing.<li>IPS promotes a ‘trauma-informed’ way of relating- instead of asking ‘what’s wrong’ we think about ‘what happened’?<li>IPS looks beyond the notion of individuals needing to change and examines our lives in the context of our relationships and communities.<li>Peer Support relationships are viewed as partnerships that enable both parties to learn and grow- rather than as one person needing to ‘help’ another.<li>Instead of a focus on what we need to stop or avoid doing, we are encouraged to move towards what and where we want to be.</ul> <p>For more information, see <a href=http://www.mentalhealthpeers.com target=_blank> www.mentalhealthpeers.com </a> </p><tr><td id=footer><p style="text-align: center">Copyright © 2021, <a href=index.htm> National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery </a> , Inc. All rights reserved</p> <p style="text-align: center"class=smaller><a href=http://www.tomrogerswebdesign.com> Site by Tom Rogers Web Design | Internet Solutions </a></p></table></div>