Connecting with people who genuinely understand your mental health and wellness journey can be a powerful step in recovery and care.
Peer support programs are a vital resource in mental health and substance use health care pathways. Whether through one-on-one conversations or in group settings, talking with people who have shared similar experiences can create a recovery-oriented community through a sense of validation and non-judgmental support. Peer support can also serve as a stepping stone to help individuals prepare for the next stages in their recovery and wellbeing.
This episode of The “So, Why?” Podcast features a conversation with Shaleen Jones, executive director of Eating Disorders Nova Scotia and founder of Body Peace Canada, on the transformative power of connection and the importance of accessible wellness services that meet care seekers where they are.
More information:
Body Peace Canada
Eating Disorders Nova Scotia
Stepped Care Solutions is now operating and delivering PeerOnCall – a mobile health platform designed for workforce peer support, built with input from public safety communities. Find out more at our website.
This episode’s guest:
Shaleen Jones has been an advocate, organizer, supporter, and all-round rabble rouser in the field of eating disorders for over twenty five years, holding leadership positions with community organizations across Canada. She is currently the executive director of Eating Disorders Nova Scotia, and founder of Body Peace Canada.
Having overcome an eating disorder, she is passionate about recovery, the transformative power of peer support, and creating sustainable, systematic changes across the sector. Shaleen was one of the first people trained to provide peer support for those with eating disorders in Canada, and earned her Peer Support Certification from Peer Support Canada in 2015.
Shaleen has been recognized for her work with multiple community and mental health awards, and she currently serves as a member of the Government of Canada’s Ministerial Advisory Council on Mental Health, the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Hallway Group, Quality Mental Health Care Network, and the E-Mental Health Collaborative.