About

Intersection by John F. Gerrard

At the intersection where your gifts, talents, and abilities meet a human need; therein you will discover your purpose.

—Aristotle (allegedly)

A global first: the International Peer Leadership Network

We are a group of peer support leaders from across the globe who come together to connect, share, learn, shape the future of peer leadership* and to drive it forward.

As peer support continues to grow in the community and in clinical systems, there is a desire to see the role evolve to be a profession in its own right, and have opportunities for career progression that other roles enjoy. While we believe that peer support can be offered as a voluntary activity, we also believe that there should be the opportunity for growth into the strategic and decision making levels, and not just through co-production and advisory positions. We don’t see leadership just as a role or qualification though. We believe leadership can and should show up in different parts of systems and communities and that leadership happens outside of these structures.

As such, we develop initiatives to continue the spread and adoption of peer practice and provide opportunities for you to develop your leadership skills to mobilise change.

Peer support is now an internationally recognised model of service delivery and community change. As a proven method that achieves lasting improvement in overall health and wellbeing, we want to see it utilised more and continue to grow its legitimacy as a key profession. However, there is lack of international co-operation and leadership skill development.

We aim to close this gap by bringing together people, developing opportunities for engagement and skill mobilisation, and learning from different perspectives. We want the forum to be ambitious and to aim high.

The IPLN provides a forum for practising Peer Supporters* across the World. Whether you are a peer supporter in physical or mental health, support people with substance use, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, autism spectrum disorder, disabilities etc. you are welcome to attend our network.

We believe that through our collective network and skills, your thoughts, ideas and practices can help make peer support and the services we provide in the systems and communities we provide them in even better.

*Practising Peer Supporter: A person who uses their personal life experiences to support others in a paid or voluntary capacity (may have formal or informal training).

*Peer leadership: A Peer Supporter who uses their experiences and has developed skills to successfully guide, shape, and build the future of peer working.

Our goals

Leadership development

  • Develop personally and professionally through a co-curated programme of initiatives and activities

  • Develop your leadership skills and have access to professional development opportunities

Sharing country specific knowledge

  • Learn fresh ideas and more about global peer support initiatives

  • Learn what peer leadership can look like

  • Identify and spread good practice and innovation

Build collaborations

  • Forge lasting relationships

  • Increase the availability and types of peer support offered

Create a community of practice

  • Join a global network of professional peer supporters

  • Be part of a global movement that builds collective power for peer supporters

Democratising leadership

  • Leadership is not just about a role, position or certificate. We believe peers have the ability to be leaders in any setting. We promote this style of leadership

Our Values

Authentic

We create a safe and trusted space where people can be genuine, open and authentic. We believe that this is vital to strengthening the peer leadership movement.

Collaborative

We host spaces that promote and foster collaboration. No one peer can do this work alone. The challenges we face exist beyond borders. We work together to identify, share and collaborate on problems and solutions to achieve change.

Future Focused

We believe that we are creating the future everyday. We do this through every conversation, decision and action. While we look forward, we are informed and guided by decisions of the past.

Belonging

Having a space to connect enables us to build a community. Our community feel understood, supported and connected in a way that enables them to reach out to one another outside of the network.

Inclusive

We support our peer community to find their path, celebrate unique contributions and respect people’s different approaches and ideas.

Who are we?

The International Peer Leadership Network is powered by Habitus Collective and currently facilitated by Debbie Wiebe, Lisa Androulidakis and Callum Ross. We operate a shared leadership model which means that members are encouraged and regularly participate in the development and facilitation of meetings, learning events and topic areas for discussion. Our membership is comprised of over 500 peer leaders across 15 different countries.

Our Facilitators

Debbie Wiebe

Debbie brings over 30 years experience working in peer support roles. She is a Certified Peer Supporter and Peer Support Mentor with Peer Support Canada. She worked to develop Canadian standards and competencies of practice, and a practice framework for peer supporters to work within, as well as being part of the team that developed peer support and peer mentorship certification for Canada. She facilitates communities of practice across the globe and has a passion for developing peer leaders. Debbie was also one of the architects for the development of the Canadian national peer support guidelines with the Mental Health Commission of Canada: “Guidelines for the Practice and Training of Peer Support” and also worked directly with them as part of an international team to create the recommendation report: "Making the Case for Peer Support". She is now Vice President of the Western Canada Peer Training Society.

Lisa Androulidakis

Lisa brings 15 years experience working in and around peer roles and organisations in the mental health, harm reduction, public health and homelessness sectors. Her experience in grassroots-led lived experience projects and organisations has meant that she has seen first hand how leadership from peers can happen at all levels and can thrive if given the opportunity. To the IPLN, Lisa brings her years of experience developing, funding and managing peer support programmes, developing peer support and peer researcher training, and ensuring the voices of lived experience are leading conversations, design, policy and strategy. She is passionate about Peer Leadership and the positive impact it can have at an individual, community and system level. She is currently working with peer leaders globally on developing international standards for peer leadership.

Callum Ross

Callum has worked in mental health for 20 years. He has worked across numerous sectors in roles that encompass mental health, youth, community, and crisis. As an international leader in Peer Support, he mentors Peer Supporters and Peer Researchers in multiple different projects. He is currently working with the Global Leadership Exchange creating international standards for Peer Leadership. He has experience of working with and implementing different leadership models across sectors, and has led the largest active alumni network of Social Workers in Europe to use the power of networks, organising and innovation to improve the lives of children and families. Callum was instrumental in the design of a first of its kind ‘Innovation Lab’ for Social Workers to explore their own ideas for positive impact where for the first time, Social Workers directly connected their innovations with government, trusts and foundations.

Our International Network

Join us!

Come and connect with peer supporters and peer leaders at one of our community of practices, a space where you can spark meaningful conversations, connect with others, and talk in a space where other people understand the successes and challenges of our work and the impact we want to have.