Peer Support
The Project: Peer Counseling
Those affected support and advise others with similar experiences in entering the workforce.
Recovery is an attitude, a mindset, and a path to address daily challenges. It is a self-directed process to regain meaning and purpose in life.
Profil convinced that the professional inclusion of people with mental health issues, as well as other health limitations, can be made even more successful with a recovery-oriented approach. The introduction of peer counseling can promote this attitude among candidates as well as among our own employees.
What is Peer Counseling:
Peer counseling is available for both family members and individuals with lived experience. It is particularly beneficial for those who wish to connect with someone who has had similar experiences and can therefore uniquely understand their own journey.
The term 'peer' refers to an 'equal', signifying support provided on an equal level. In peer counseling, individuals who have experienced their own crises, after completing counselor training, support and advise other individuals with similar experiences. Peer counselors listen with the benefit of their own background and offer assistance in crisis situations, provide information on available self-help and support structures, and facilitate access to self-help.
Achievements
We are delighted to announce that our 'Peer Counseling' project has won the Prix Printemps 2024! Thanks to this generous financial support, we can now thoroughly test the effectiveness of peer work in the context of professional integration. This award recognizes innovative projects that support children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities or impairments in various areas of life, whether in transitions, housing matters, vocational training, or leisure activities.
For an Inclusive Workforce
The Project
Goals:
2023: Concept Development
2024-2026: The concept will be Profil with 4 peers at Profil
2026: Evaluation and Improvement
Target Groups
- People with disabilities or health impairments and peer training who are interested in working as peers (Profil notProfil to mental health impairments)
- Individuals with disabilities or health impairments seeking counseling
- Employee Profil
- Clients (Disability Insurance offices, regional employment centers, cantons, social welfare, etc.)
Benefits
- Individuals with impairments support and strengthen each other.
- Individuals receiving counseling find even greater understanding for their situation and feel supported on an equal footing.
- It opens up new job opportunities for peers, and the employment of individuals with disabilities in counseling gains importance as a result.
- Inclusion in counseling organizations is promoted.
- Impairment is perceived less as an obstacle and more as a factor of diversity and an enrichment of experience.
Project Team
- Project management: Eva Meroni, Managing Director Profil
- Project team: Susan Dober (Head of Northwest Switzerland Region), Marco Wopmann (Head of Zurich Region), Monika Leupi (Executive Assistant), two specialist advisors for work integration Profil, peers
- Sounding board: Reflection by Profil employees Profil people with disabilities (those affected and peers)
- Steering Committee: BSV, Representatives of Disability Insurance offices, Pro Mente Sana representatives, Self-advocates
Interested?
We appreciate your interest, whether it is in participating or providing financial support. Please contact Eva Meroni, Managing Director (profil).
Further Projects
Supported Employment 50plus
As a partner of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Profil supports employees Profil the age Profil 50 who are about to lose their unemployment benefits in their search for a new job with the help of supported employment.
Employer Advisory Service: Employees with Disabilities (Diversity and Inclusion)
Diversity and inclusion are important topics for businesses today. However, when it comes to employees with disabilities, there is often a lack of knowledge regarding implementation, how to interact with affected individuals, available support, and legal frameworks. This project aims to address this gap.
Why support us
There are good reasons why you can Profil the Profil Foundation and support us with a financial contribution:
- The Profil Foundation Profil to the sustainable professional integration of people with health impairments or disabilities into the primary labor market. For people with disabilities, professional integration means greater financial independence, active participation in society, and professional and personal fulfillment.
- Integration offers not only social benefits but also economic advantages. It relieves the burden on social insurance and pension funds. Employed individuals with disabilities generate income, pay taxes, and contribute to social security. Furthermore, their valuable expertise and workforce remain available to the economy.
- The Profil Foundation Profil monitored and audited by three independent bodies:
– Swiss Federal Supervisory Board for Foundations
– FSIO – Federal Social Insurance Office
– External auditing company - The members of the Foundation Board work on a voluntary basis.
- The Profil Foundation Profil IN-Qualis certified. IN-Qualis is the quality standard of Work Integration Switzerland.
- Profil personnel leasing service Profil SQS certified.
Help people with health restrictions or disabilities find a place in the primary labor market. There are various ways you can support us:
Contact Us
Do you have a question or require advice? Please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
