Michal Kašpar

Czech Republic

Peer Specialist, Centre for Mental Health Care Development

Examples of involvement of experts by experience in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic there is a wide variety of programmes involving peer specialists. The presentation will shortly introduce two programmes of systematic peer involvement into the mental health system. So called peer consultants and peer lecturers will be presented. While peer consultants were fully integrated as members of mental health teams with specific role, peer lecturers were trained to be able to give lessons on topics like recovery or stigma and discrimination at the university. The author will speak about his own experience with these activities. His current position is a peer lecturer of university mental health courses and a journalist specialised in “media and mental health” topics.