About PPEP
Since 2014, the Peer Program Evaluation Project (PPEP) at CMHA Toronto works in partnership with service providers to evaluate mental health services. PPEP is modeled after a mental health program evaluation initiative called Partnership and Evaluation toward Recovery (PER), developed in New Zealand in 2012.
The program hires and trains people with lived experiences of mental health and addiction challenges (peers) to undertake program evaluation and community-based research. Peers receive training in program evaluation, qualitative research methodology, ethical guidelines for research, data collection processes (observation methods, peer-to-peer interviewing techniques and facilitation of focus groups), qualitative data analysis, and results from interpretation and dissemination.
PEPP’s primary objectives are to:
- Build capacity among service users and people with lived experience to undertake program evaluation and community-based participatory research
- Enhance the voice of people with lived experience to inform service design and implementation
- Promote recovery-orientation through applied research and evaluation
About the PEPP Team
CMHA Toronto’s PEPP team is comprised of seven individuals. In addition to lived experience with mental health and addictions challenges and recovery, team members have relevant work, volunteer, or educational experiences in a variety of areas, including counselling, mental health advocacy, disability activism, community development, housing support, community and social research, peer support, and social work.