The Peer Recovery Education for Employment and Resilience (PREFER) program of the Centre for Building a Culture of Recovery is proud to announce that its First Annual Summit, held in Toronto, Ontario, is scheduled for Saturday April 9^th, 2011 and will be available at no cost to people with lived experience of mental health or substance use challenges. 

Click here for a brief agenda for the day (a new window will open).

The Summit is an opportunity for the Participants who have been receiving education and training in Peer Support and the wider community of People in Recovery, Consumer/Survivors, and Recovery Supporting agencies and partners to network, share skills, knowledge and discuss opportunities for building a systemic culture that supports Recovery and embraces Peer Support.  A keynote address by Stephen Pocklington of Well Beyond Recovery will be followed by a variety of networking and learning opportunities as people from across the province gather to talk about recovery, recovery education, and peer support and employment in the mental health system for people with lived experience.  The summit promises to be a gathering of leaders in the Peer Support movement across the province.

The First Annual PREFER Summit, then, will be an excellent opportunity for PREFER participants,  community members, C/S/X groups, mental health program administrators, social service students, mental health community associations, mental health, addictions, and related service agencies, and foundations to learn from each other, deepen their knowledge of recovery, and gain a greater understanding of peer support and how to implement and support peer recovery education. Participants will also explore supporting self-discovery, recovery, and development through the arts as well as through critical and creative thinking.

Proposals for presentations, workshops, papers, posters, and art are being accepted until the end of February.  PREFER participants are encouraged to submit their ideas.  Any format may be considered, including, but not limited to: a presentation of a paper, narrative, or personal story; audio-visual presentations; visual, musical, theatrical or performance art; posters or written displays, and interactive workshops.  Additionally, agencies and groups are welcome to request space for networking.  

Contact Information: 

For more information, and forms to submit your proposal, or to register for the summit, go to www.cultureofrecovery.org