Jacqui Dillon - Nourishing and sustaining community Peer Support Groups

The power of peer support groups is widely acknowledged, but running groups can also be a difficult undertaking. Success requires fostering an inclusive environment that encourages open dialogue, active participation, and mutual respect among members - providing safe spaces where individuals can share experiences, offer support, solidarity, and build a strong sense of community both within the group and with wider allies.

This workshop provides an invaluable opportunity for reflection and debate, as well as being a supportive space to think about the opportunities and challenges for building a strong network of community peer support across Devon.

Facilitator Biography: Jacqui Dillon is an activist, author, and speaker, and has lectured and published worldwide on trauma, abuse, hearing voices, psychosis, dissociation, and healing. Jacqui is Honorary Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London, Visiting Research Fellow at The Centre for Community Mental Health, Birmingham City University and a member of the Advisory Board, The Collaborating Centre for Values-Based Practice in Health and Social Care, St Catherine’s College, Oxford University. Jacqui is part of collective voice demanding a radical shift in the way we understand and respond to experiences currently defined as psychiatric illnesses.

Host or Publisher Devon Mental Health Alliance