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.