We are very happy to announce a number of groups we’ll be running here at in2gr8mentalhealth.
Our PeerSpace Groups are like nothing else out there!
We are actively recruiting for our next PeerSpace groups to start in the Autumn. We’ve had some amazing feedback from Luke’s research project on our previous PeerSpace groups, which, we are very pleased to say, reflects the ethos, values, and approaches that we use to destigmatise lived experience of mental health difficulties amongst mental health professionals. His research highlights in2gr8’s unique position in establishing psychological safety in a peer community, to engage in challenging toxic stigma in systems. There is no place other than in2g8 where this work takes place!
Previous attenders of the PeerSpace named various benefits, and particularly reported feeling seen and heard, having a sense of community, connection and belonging, a reconnection of one’s personal and professionals’ lives and the importance of naming lived experience repeatedly throughout the group.
We are aiming to run PeerSpaces for aspiring, trainee and qualified professionals. If you are interested in attending, please book a conversation with us at www.in2gr8mentalhealth.com/mentoring
Calling all PeerSpace alumni! An ongoing PeerSpace, where you can continue to feel connected and be in solidarity with other professionals who have attended PeerSpaces.
In response to feedback, PeerSpacers have told us they were saddened when their PeerSpace ended, and they wanted to continue to be in solidarity with, and be supported and inspired by other mental health professionals with lived experience. We have listened to this feedback and for the first time, we’ve set up a PeerSpace Alumni group, a space for anyone who has already completed our 8 session PeerSpace programme, which will run monthly, and will provide a consistent base for people to return to, regardless of job changes, life circumstances and changes in mental health experiences.
So, if you have completed a PeerSpace previously and want to continue to connect, then please attend our first Alumni group meeting on Tuesday 26th September at 7:30-8:30pm. Please contact us at contact@ingr8mentalhealth.com for further information.
And finally, but by no means least, we will be starting our Community Production Group!
You might be thinking, ‘why start a Community Production Group’?
It’s because we walk our talk. We acknowledge the creation of what is most useful comes from increasing the diversity of views thinking about our work here at in2gr8mentalhealth CIC, through engaging with any interested party. An important reflection of ours is on the social GRAAACES (Burnham, 2018) and how we continue to represent visible and invisible difference and attend to any blindspots in our processes.
The set-up of our Community Production Group is an invitation to help us develop our work, think about collective approaches to weather the ‘stigma storm’, complementing the activist and community-based approach we already bring to our work.
We truly want an organisation that engages with the work you feel we should be doing more or less of, or something we have not yet thought about! We’ll introduce you to the peer-developed work we have already, so you know where we’re starting from.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on our evaluation of our peer mentoring, any feedback on our Webinar series and the ongoing conversations we have with stakeholders. Whatever you can give we will truly value!
We recognise the importance of adequately gifting people in return for their time, energy, and involvement. Whilst we are unfunded, we want to mindfully reciprocate in the best way we can, whether that be offering your names credited on documents/academic papers or on our website.
We’re really excited about formalising this group. If you would like to get involved with helping to develop what we do, then please share your availability to attend a meeting, on this link: https://whenavailable.com/event/k1x577iLygacrA5T6. we have given a mixture of times and dates for you all to attend! Of course, if you are unable to attend then we are happy to receive feedback via e-mail contact@in2gr8mentalhealth.com Whatever you can give will be enough!
In solidarity
in2gr8mentalhealth CIC