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Hi everyone,

I have been thinking about starting a support group for adults in my local community for people who identify with ACE's (face to face), and I wondered if anyone had any experience setting one up or currently run one themselves?  

I'm particularly interested in peer facilitated groups, like a support group, rather than group therapy with a professional psychotherapist to hold the group, although I'd be interested in the success of either if you are involved in anything like this?  (i.e. how it formed, what works / what doesn't, what structure you use, any important considerations etc).

I did some research last year to see if I could join an existing group, and found nothing on offer, which surprised me a little.  I know I would benefit from something like this in addition to the individual therapy that I have.  I always find meeting people who I can relate to and share stories with, of great value.

Many thanks for any ideas or suggestions you might have.

Brigitte

 

 

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Angela Sweeney posted:

Hi Brigitte

 

Have you come across Intentional Peer Support?   It's a really great approach to peer support which fully fits with ACES and trauma-informed approaches.  Have a look here and see what you think: http://www.intentionalpeersupport.org/

 

There's also a great report on trauma-informed peer support for women which you might find really helpful https://www.nasmhpd.org/sites/..._REVISED_10_2012.pdf

 

Good luck!
Angie

Is there research to support IPS? -- The only one I know about is the paper by Lloyd-Evans, which is attached.

I've known some bad "peer support" groups, people leading the groups whom I would never accept as peers, and for whom I've got good grounds for not trusting let alone not have confidence in.  I'd definitely have ground rules for successfully operating the group. A lot of the original work is single focus -- in New Zealand, the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse is one such, and I've known both good and very bad in that. As a beginning search for ground rules, I'd recommend Mike Lew's book Victims No Longer, admittedly for male survivors, but very worthwhile none the less.

I'm also attaching something I use as a guide -- depends on the presenting needs of the people as a group who turn up. No one's "required" to contribute, except the old guy in the hot seat (yours truly). People have to proceed as and when they themselves choose. 

Then of course, there are the resources available from your own country's Blue Knot Foundation, and Guy McPherson's Trauma Therapist Project -- have a look at his special offer available from the still online Treating Trauma Without Drama Summit -- supervision should be regarded as an essential, not to be shirked because it's a peer support group. You're putting yourself in the extremely responsible group leader position. Not to mention, increasing opportunities for tertiary education training. There are quite a few free resources available for what is essentially "trauma survivors support" (broadly defined), even if it's not called "ACEs support".

So, I applaud your preparedness to do the work,  but urge you to do lots of research, and self-preparation, and caution beforehand.  

Attachments

Last edited by Jane Stevens

Brigitte, you might be interested in a manual my colleagues and I wrote, Engaging Women in Trauma-Informed Peer Support, https://www.nasmhpd.org/sites/..._REVISED_10_2012.pdf  We have also developed and delivered dozens of 2-day trainings on Trauma-Informed Peer Support.

As to your question about research about IPS - the reason is that, until recently, no one has funded research/evaluation of IPS, which, as I'm sure you know, is expensive.  I'm currently about half-way through a 3-year study of Intentional Peer Support funded by the US National Institute on Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).  As Angie noted, IPS is a trauma-informed approach to peer support.

Darby Penney

 

Last edited by Jane Stevens
Darby Penney posted:

Russel Wilson, sorry, but I really don't understand what you're Italking about.

I think you have made it abundantly clear. Perhaps you should read Lloyd-Evans, my guide, and the abundant literature on Feedback Informed Therapy, for starters, and maybe come back in 6-12 months when you've digested all that. Lloyd-Evans makes it abundantly clear it NEED NOT be expensive; that it SHOULD BE done; and there is no valid reason why it has not been done. She also points out, repeatedly, and cogently, how objectivity and the public interest has been sacrificed for the "political" supporters of IPS for their own ends, but the truth can hurt, I suppose. Practice in the absence of such research / evaluation / quality assurance is most definitely NOT trauma informed. 

 

 

 

Last edited by Russell Wilson

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