New peer support program to help patients with mental illness

The Wellness Project, an innovative pilot program that matches patients in the Schizophrenia Program at the Royal Ottawa Hospital with former patients for peer support, opened with five established partnerships.

In this program that emphasizes peer relationships and friendships, patients are matched with trained volunteers, who have recovered or are recovering from mental illness. The pairs meet on a weekly basis and are provided with a small allowance to support a social activity such as coffee, a movie or a baseball game.

The Wellness Project is funded through the Change Foundation of Ontario, which supports innovative projects in Ontario's health system. The project is a collaboration between the uOttawa Institute of Mental Health Research, the Royal Ottawa Hospital, Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa and the Canadian Mental Health Association.