What does the future hold for training and educational opportunities for peer support workers in the Nordic and Baltic countries? KBT Vocational College, along with organizations from Sweden, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Denmark, has been working on this question for the past few years. Through a network collaboration supported by Nordplus, we have drawn inspiration and knowledge from one another. This collaboration has accelerated the development of training for peer support workers in several countries.
Applying for a New Project – Seeking to Develop Common Training Materials
On April 30, 2024, the latest project on networking for peer support worker education in the Nordic and Baltic countries concluded. We leave the project with a strengthened network, which has potential for further development. The main goals of the Nordplus network were to create a larger network for the education and training of peer support workers and to build a common understanding for future projects.
Through the network, we have identified some needs. Therefore, the network has applied for funding to develop shared educational materials, including videos that will provide a common understanding of what a peer support worker is and what is needed to enhance their competencies. The network got fundings for further work, and a new project has started. We will tell more about that in a new post.
Project Partners
- Sweden: NSPH
- Estonia: MTÜ Kogemusnõustajad
- Iceland: Hlutverkasetur
- Lithuania: Mental Health Perspectives
- Latvia: Zelda
- (Guest) Denmark: Peer Partnerskabet
Relationship Building Over Time
This project is the third Nordplus project initiated by KBT Vocational College to bring together the Nordic and Baltic countries for peer support worker training.
The project has both strengthened previous relationships with partners and expanded the network. This is a network for collaboration, not competition. Program Director Preben Hegland is optimistic about continued collaboration and envisions the network growing with more partners and countries in the coming years.
Community Around the Important Role of the Peer Support Worker
The partnership is built on a shared understanding that peer support workers play an important role in healthcare and that there is a need for education and competence development to ensure that both the peer support workers and the system can work together effectively.
All partners in the project are committed to creating a community and a common meeting place for the Nordic and Baltic countries to address the topics surrounding peer support workers.
Sharing Experiences on Education
Sharing experiences about accredited education in Norway and supporting partners in their startup phases will continue to be important for KBT Vocational College going forward. One example of the network’s effectiveness is that NSPH in Sweden is working to establish an education for peer support workers at the same level as KBT Vocational College. This will enable great opportunities for collaboration between these educational programs in the future.
This text was translated from Norwegian with help from the AI-tool chatgpt.