Peer support
Our Peer Mentor program was developed in response to suggestions by students who had commenced or resumed study at La Trobe after experiencing serious mental ill health. They proposed that meeting regularly with a friendly fellow student who was at least a year ahead in their studies and understood University systems and services would be of assistance in making the transition into University. Benefits of this contact would include: feeling less isolated and stressed; becoming aware of supports and how to access them; and generally feeling more able to navigate the University systems and persist with studies. The students also thought it was important to have Peer Mentors who were aware of and understand the challenges that students experiencing mental ill health faced including the impact ill health may have on confidence, concentration and motivation; the effects of medication; and issues associated with disclosure. To this end, we developed selection procedures and a training program for Mentors, and ongoing support structures for Mentors and mentees and built these into our pilot program.
After receiving very positive feedback from Mentees and Mentors participating in pilot programs in 2011 and 2012, we are now able to offer this Peer Mentor program on the Melbourne campus to commencing and returning students who have experienced serious mental ill health. To find out more about being matched with a Peer Mentor in this program please contact us at the Melbourne campus.
If you are a second year student and would like to find out more about becoming a specialist Peer Mentor, including selection and training procedures, please contact us.
Of course, this program does not replace counselling or other mental health services.
