Introduction to Peer Support for Peer Supporters

The first of Yarrow Collective’s Peer Support Orientation Series for Larimer County peer supporters is open to people already working in peer support roles, newly hired in peer roles, or considering entering peer support work.

In this 4-hour orientation, you will learn:

• The history and context of peer support as an intersectional, social justice movement
• The principles, values, and tasks of peer support
• What peer support is not, and maintaining role integrity in clinical settings
• The importance of having a peer-to-peer community to continue to learn, grow, and build expertise together

This workshop provides a foundation to peer support work based on the Intentional Peer Support model, and also provides opportunities for people working in peer roles to connect with a community of peers for ongoing reflection and learning together. Future workshops will build on this foundation by addressing additional special topics, such as Alternatives to Suicide, how peer support looks in clinical settings, social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations in peer support work, and an introduction to reflective supervision for providers and clinical supervisors.

The workshop starts promptly at 9am and will be held in person in Fort Collins. A light lunch will be provided for all attendees. 

If you are an organization sending your employees to this orientation, please purchase the organizational ticket rate of $50. If you are an individual -- not connected to an organization or agency -- attending this orientation on your own, you may purchase a "pay what you can ticket" which allows you to pay as little as $5 for a ticket. If you require further financial assistance to be able to attend the orientation, please contact us at: info@yarrowcollective.org.

Similarly, we are committed to accessibility, please email us for accommodation requests, including language interpretation requests.

About Your Trainers….

Ashleigh Jones (she/her) has lived in Fort Collins for the past 10 years. She is the mother of 2 wonderful children that are the joy of her life. Ashleigh has lived experience with life interrupting substance use, childhood trauma, eating disorders, self-harm and is a suicide attempt survivor. She also has lived experience with both the foster care system and the criminal justice system. Ashleigh has been a peer support worker for over 2 years. She is now one of 2 peer program managers at Summitstone Health Partners. During her time as a peer worker, she has found her voice as an advocate and an activist. Ashleigh is passionate about peer support in its truest form: the beautiful connection between folks who are struggling and those who have had similar lived experiences.

Silen Wellington (they/he) is a sculptor of sound, artist of people, gender liminal shapeshifter, mercurial name collector, restless poet, and storyteller, among other things. They found their way to wholeness and self-love through mostly "alternative" means, namely: guided rites of passage journeys, performance art, unhinged-unfettered-unapologetic dance, and connections with fiercely humble Elders & mentors who shared some of Silen's marginalized identities. Silen is a white settler living on Cheyenne, Arapaho & Ute lands seeking to unsettle himself & constantly develop greater awareness and humility, listening to be in the right relationship with the land & advocating for racial justice. A lover of thresholds, Silen is transgender, polyamorous, & queer experiencing varying degrees of (quasi-spiritual) madness sometimes self-labeled as neurodivergent and is otherwise abled. Silen serves as a Peer Support Advocate for the Yarrow Collective & is passionate about educating and bringing folks to new understandings of themselves and the world.