Peers are being engaged to share their substance use expertise

November 24, 2022

Interior Health has been running a program that gives people who have lived with or have living experience with substance use the opportunity to get involved and share their voice.

IH’s Peer Inclusion and Engagement Project offers a variety of ways that people can share their expertise: through employment with IH as a Peer Support Worker, or through Peer Advisory Group and Peer Volunteer roles (both of which pay honorariums).

Brock Thomas is a Peer Volunteer with the program and a member of the Spallumcheen (Splatsin) Band. He was recruited to be part of the Integrated Treatment Team in North Okanagan (Enderby/Salmon Arm area) and has been with the program from the beginning; he was one of the first to complete the intensive 11-week, provincial peer support training curriculum in 2020. Brock’s involvement in a pilot peer support initiative with the Splatsin community has been integral to exploring ways in which the IH peer program can potentially strengthen connection and supports in an Indigenous community.

“There is a toxic drug crisis in British Columbia,” Brock said. “Twelve people have died in the past year in my community from overdose and I wanted to be part of change.”

Stories@IH

Read related stories

9 Minute Read
Community & Culture

Have you ever wondered who helps ensure food establishments are serving your food safely, or the water you’re swimming in is safe? How boil water…

3 Minute Read
Community & Culture

Name: Emily Larochelle (she/her/hers)Job Title:  Registered Nurse, Clinical Care EducatorYears of Service: 13Worksite: Kootenay Boundary Regional…

3 Minute Read
Community & Culture

When long-term care residents throughout the region had to evacuate this summer due to wildfires, Interior Health team members stepped up…

3 Minute Read
Community & Culture

Nestled in the heart of the Nicola Valley, the City of Merritt is a beautiful place to call home and explore a career in health care. With its…

9 Minute Read
Community & Culture

Content warning: residential schools, death. The information and material presented here may cause unpleasant feelings or thoughts for some people…

4 Minute Read
Community & Culture

Name: Dr. Reena Baweja (she/her/hers)Job Title: NeurosurgeonYears of Service: 2Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital Community: KamloopsAncestral…

STAY CONNECTED

Receive news and alert posts, and Stories@IH blog posts, right to your inbox!

mail