Dear Bob
If one is talking Peer Workers by definition they must have had some form of lived experience of mental health issues, suicide related matters or crises .
If these are too recent then this can lead to unfortunate consequences if the people they deal wiht tend to exacerbate problems or re-traumatize. Nevertheless the original experience is essential. As a result a firm stage of recovery needs to be reached before embarking on this course of action.
That being said anyone in clinical services having had an equivalent life experience to the above is also vulnerable, possibly more so as the act of peer work wiht consequent self-disclosure (discouraged in clinical practice) can itself have a healing process making the peer worker's mental state even more robust.
Of course the individuals in either type of practice need to have their own formal mental health support structures.
It took me a long tme but I reached the stage where I wished (and was capable) of assisting others, but that is an individual reaction, I'm sure for many achieving a stable stage of recovery is much quicker and no bar to study or practice.
Good luck with the masters if you go ahead.
Croix
