Re-positioning Mental Health Service Users as Educators in the Mental Health Professions-View Presentation

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Video Summary

In this webinar, the presenters discuss the use of peer advisors in mental health education programs. The Peer Advisor Program at Columbia University's Public Psychiatry Fellowship is highlighted as an example. In this program, each fellow is paired with a peer advisor who has lived experience with mental illness. The fellows and advisors meet and discuss various topics related to mental health care, including recovery-oriented care, social determinants of health, and the role of diagnosis. The program aims to disrupt the traditional power dynamic between psychiatrists and patients, and instead emphasizes mutual learning and collaboration. The presenters describe the challenges of unlearning the medical model of care and the importance of creating a safe space for open and respectful discussion. They also discuss the impact of the program on fellows' practice and the potential for wider adoption of peer advisors in mental health education. Overall, the webinar highlights the benefits of including service users as educators in mental health professions and the importance of incorporating their knowledge and perspectives into training programs.

Keywords

peer advisors

mental health education programs

Columbia University

lived experience

recovery-oriented care

social determinants of health

mutual learning

disrupting power dynamics

safe space

training programs