About Us
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Peer Alternatives are people with lived experience of human distress, crisis, adversity, attachment challenges, and service use. We have learnt what can work well for people who are in situations we once found ourselves in. We combine this experience with the knowledge and skills developed from years of using relational ways of working in formal lived experience/Peer roles in traditional mental health settings and community alternatives for people in emotional and psychological distress.
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Our members can be involved in different ways; ranging from being part of community social gatherings, to working as a Lived Experience Associate with Beyond Barriers and other organisations. You can find out more about our membership options on our Community Network page.
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Our Lived Experience
Associates
Our Lived Experience Associates come from local, national and international locations. They skilfully combine their lived experience of healing from human distress, use of traditional mental health services and therapeutic interventions, with evidence from personal stories, knowledge and research around what helps and what doesn’t and skills developed from experience of facilitating relational peer support in traditional and alternative mental health services and community projects.
