Module 4: Expert by experience panel discussion

Theme introduction: 

Experiential expertise is a great way to implement thinking and acting in accordance with the Recovery Orientation framework. 

An Expert by Experience is a trained person* who has first-hand experience of a mental health and/or addiction problem or physical illness, either as a patient or as a family member/relative/friend. 

*Especially in Finland and to some extent also in Estonia, there are Expert by Experience training courses available, the purpose of which is to prepare a person with their own recovery experience and path to meet and support users of mental health services in need of support.

Expert by Experience can for example:

• share their own recovery story to encourage and give hope to mental health service users in their rehabilitation

• act as a support person for mental health service users and their families 

• serve as peer support in difficult situations for  mental health service users

• be involved in developing more user-centred mental health services together with professionals based on their experience

Note! If you´re not able to arrange EbE panel Discussion, you can use the module time to reflect on either as a joint discussion or in small groups: 

• To delve a little deeper into the theme of expert by experience, for example by searching for information on using smartphones

• Discuss: How could we encourage and enable our service users to become familiar with and/or train as experts in experience?

• How can we create structures where it is possible and "safe" for our service users to have opportunity to learn and practice Expert-by-experience tasks?

• A checklist is prepared based on the groups' responses/discussions

• You can also considere to integrate this module to module 5 "Joint development"

Material: 

Expert by Experience panel questions.pdf

Recommended duration:  1 hour

• panel discussion 45-50 min.

• question/comment part 15 min.