Over 140 with mental health conditions trained to provide peer support to help others recover

SINGAPORE – More than 140 people with mental health conditions have undergone training to become peer support specialists to help others who are struggling.

The Peer Support Specialist Programme, launched in 2016 by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), has conducted nine runs so far.

It equips people with mental health conditions with the skills needed to leverage their experiences while supporting others on their recovery journey.

Of those trained, close to half are employed as peer support specialists or in roles related to peer support and mental health in social service agencies and healthcare institutions, director for services at NCSS Sim Hui Ting said.

Mr Tan Kok Liang, 47, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2009 after he started hearing voices and experiencing hallucinations. While most people found comfort at home, he would hear the tortured screams of a woman along his corridor.

When the screaming got louder, he called the police and ran up to his neighbour’s homes to ask them to stop torturing the woman.

The police advised his mother to seek professional help. Mr Tan was referred to Anglican Care Centre Simei for rehabilitation in 2010 after psychiatric evaluation.

Mr Tan, who was previously a property agent, said he felt hopeless as he never imagined he would be suffering from mental illness, and spent his days sleeping, waking only for meals.

“Things started changing a year later. I noticed people around me moving on with life. Some started going out to work and study. I started thinking that maybe I could do so as well.

“That motivated me to carry on, and made me more determined to be more active in Simei.”

A decade later, Mr Tan is now a programme assistant and peer support specialist at the same centre where he once underwent rehabilitation. He was part of the pioneer batch in NCSS’ Peer Support Specialist Programme in 2016.

He said his experience with mental health issues helps him advise his peers on how to manage symptoms and prevent relapse.

“Being like a friend to them, I act as a pillar of support (to help them) to receive appropriate help in their journey. Sharing my recovery story gave me an opportunity to use my lived experience to support and help other fellow members.”

He added: “I am living evidence that recovery is possible, and that gives hope to the members.”

Ms Sim said that through sharing similar experiences in managing the challenges of mental illness, peer support specialists provide a relatable model of what success could look like in everyday life.

“They could inspire other people with mental health conditions to believe that they can recover, reintegrate into the workplaces and community, and lead meaningful lives.”

Many peer support specialists have received positive feedback on their contributions in the mental health landscape, she added.

NCSS is reviewing the peer support services and training to evaluate how to improve the programme and potentially broaden the roles of peer support specialists beyond mental health services.

A survey conducted in March with 607 Singaporeans found that two in five people have experienced mental health struggles. Almost 80 per cent of respondents also said that they know someone who has struggled with mental health.