Peer Support

Peer Support is back for the 2024-25 academic year as of September 16th.

Peer Support programming is available to all Nipissing students both in-person and virtually from September - April.

Program updates are made available on our webpage as needed. Feel free to follow us on Instagram to stay informed - nu.peersupport

For more information, contact mhwellbeing@nipissingu.ca or call 705-474-3450 ext. 4507

There are a variety of ways that Peer Support can be offered. At Nipissing University, we are proud to host a drop-in space that offers a variety of services including peer-to-peer conversations, one-to-one peer support, activities, referrals, and resource sharing. We also offer a variety of wellness outreach events and activities to Lakers throughout the academic year.

Peer Support Drop-In (A238)

A student-led wellness space on campus where students can drop by and meet informally with other students, no commitment needed. Students get to know each other at their own pace, build connections based on mutual respect and trust, provide/receive non-judgmental support and a listening ear. Trained Peer Supporters who are also students at Nipissing University are available in the space to provide support to students, share wellness information, complete referrals, and assist with advocacy, when needed. The goal is for students to feel supported, have the option to connect with others, build community, and have fun while doing it.

One-to-One Peer Support (A238)

Students have the option to receive one-to-one support from a Peer Supporter in a semi-private setting within the Peer Support Drop-In. This service is first come, first served. Students can talk about what matters to them while working towards their wellness goals, if that is what's important to them.

Virtual Peer Support (Microsoft Teams)

If a student is interested in meeting a Peer Supporter virtually, they can email peersupport@nipissingu.ca with their request for a virtual visit with a Peer Supporter and the Peer Support & Outreach Lead will be in contact to set up a date and time that works for both parties to meet. The student can expect to receive the same type of support offered in a one-to-one, in-person interaction, except the setting is virtual and hosted on Microsoft Teams using the students Nipissing email address.

Peer Support is completely self-directed which means the student decides what is best for them, what they want to share, focus on, and gain from the experience to add to and support their own wellness journey.

Peer Support Outreach

The Peer Support Team engages in a variety of outreach initiatives throughout the academic year. These can include but are not limited to information booths, events/activities involving other departments on campus and community organizations, engaging with the Lakers community via social media, and supporting various causes related to student wellness.

How would a student get involved?

Any Nipissing student can drop by the space during program hours, complete a quick sign-up with one of the Peer Supporters the first time they stop in and start visiting as frequently as they'd like when we're open. The initial sign-up is completed one time and covers the student's participation for the entire academic year!

Peer Support is FREE to access and although we encourage students to stay involved as much as they can throughout the year, there is no ongoing commitment to stay involved. Students choose what best suits their needs which means they can participate as little or as often as they'd like from September - April. We recognize and respect that participation looks different for each unique student.

Location and Time

Type of Support	Day of Week	Location	Time
Peer Support Drop-In	Monday to Thursday	A238	1:00pm-4:00pm

Meet the Peer Support Team of 2024-25 (Coming Soon!)

What is Peer Support? Why is it Beneficial?

Peer Support creates an environment where an individual can connect with another individual through shared lived experience. Being able to genuinely say to someone, “I hear you; you are not alone in what you are going through” provides a sense of comfort and connection. Peer Support fosters a welcoming, non-judgemental, safe space where true meaningful connections develop.

These connections are often built on a foundation involving empathy, encouragement, compassion, understanding and hope. Peer support also involves information sharing and referrals to resources, walking alongside another person while empowering them to help themselves and self-direct their own path to recovery. Peer support engages individual strengths and the approach of working “with” instead of “for” the individual to help them to achieve their wellness goals.

Peer Support allows for individuals to be able to communicate on a common ground - an environment where there is no hierarchy. This type of support compliments more traditional clinical approaches while providing a powerful recovery tool and option for individuals who may be feeling isolated or experiencing stigma. A peer support interaction can be empowering and uplifting for the person seeking support and it can also be mutually beneficial for the person providing peer support.

Being able to connect with like-minded individuals through shared lived experience allows for a sense of “togetherness,” feeling supported and listened to. The message of hope and recovery is always at the forefront of the work being done in peer support.

Peer Support provides a valuable service to the Pathways to Care model that exists for students: “Studies show that accessing peer support leads to improved coping and self-management skills, improved social networks, reduced isolation, reduced symptoms, reduced substance use, shorter and fewer hospitalizations, and a reduced need for intensive services”.

(Sunderland, Mishkin, & MHCC Peer Leadership Group, 2013 as cited on the Peer Support Canada Website)