What is the purpose of your peer support group?
This document is about deciding what the purpose of your group is.
Purpose means
- Why you have this group
- What you want the group todo
A purpose helps people know
- Why the group exists
- If they will find the group useful.
The best way to find the purpose of the group is to ask questions.
Remember to be open to ideas and really listen to what people want.
Steps to decide the purpose of your group
Think about why you want a support group.
Ask your peers what they want in a peer support group?
Ask people what your group could do.
Think about what people want and decide what the group could do.
You can focus on one thing or a few things.
Examples of what Peer Support groups can do
Information
People might not have good quality information.
Think about what kind of information you could help people to get. Topics could be NDIS and getting a job.
You can invite guest speakers or give out factsheets.
Learning
Think about how you could help people to learn new skills. For example
- Ask peers to share their experiences and help each other
- Go to workshops together
Support
Think about how your peer group could support each other.
For example
- Share worries and concerns with the group
- Share good experiences and stories with the group
Advocacy
Your group might want to make a change in the community.
Decide on the change you want to make for example better transport. Make a plan for example contact your local politician.