Professional growth strengthens confidence, competence, and workforce integrity. Ongoing training and development are essential for deepening your peer support practice and staying current with best practices in gambling harm reduction.

Key training pathways and resources

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Foundation training:

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• NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Peer Support) – Level 4 qualification from providers like Whitireia, WelTec, Open Polytechnic​.

• Te Pou CPSLE Training Directory – Comprehensive workshops and training sessions from various providers​.

• Intentional Peer Support (IPS) – Foundation training in peer support principles.

Cultural competency:

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• Le Va – Engaging Pasifika programmes and cultural training​.

• Te Rau Ora – Māori-specific peer support apprenticeship training and leadership programmes​.

• Asian Family Services – Peer Support Facilitators Guidebook and culturally specific resources​.

• Treaty of Waitangi competence courses – Essential for understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in practice. 🔗 https://trc.org.nz ; https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en

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Frameworks and competencies:

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• Let's Get Real Framework – Essential competencies for working with people and whānau with mental health and addiction needs​.

• Competencies for the Mental Health and Addiction Consumer, Peer Support and Lived Experience Workforce (2021) – National standards​.

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Professional development:

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• Dapaanz Accredited Addiction Peer Support Workers – Professional membership and accreditation, requires 75 CPD points annually​.

• AUT Lived Experience Pathway – Groundbreaking tertiary qualification incorporating Lived Experience into formal academic credentials​.

• Lived Experience Leadership Programmes – Including Mā Pūrapura Mai (Te Rau Ora), Rākau Roroa (Changing Minds)​.

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Specialist training:

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• Mental Health First Aid, Psychological First Aid, Trauma-informed care.

• Rainbow Competency Training (InsideOUT).

• Privacy, confidentiality, and Code of Rights training​.

Reflective practice and supervision are foundational to ethical, culturally safe, and effective peer support work. They protect your wellbeing, deepen your practice, and ensure you can continue to walk alongside others with clarity and empathy.

• Purpose:

  • Maintain ethical, culturally safe support.

  • Promote continual learning and wellbeing.

• Reflection Prompts for daily practice:

  • Where did I see mana strengthen this week?

  • What emotions am I bringing home?

  • Am I holding onto anything I need to process?

  • Were my boundaries challenged?

  • Did I listen to cultural or whānau needs well?

  • What can I learn for next time?

  • Do I need more support? What restores me?

1. Individual Supervision/Co-reflection

• Meet with a trained Lived Experience supervisor fortnightly or monthly​.

• Explore challenges, boundary issues, and personal well-being in a safe, confidential space​.

2. Group Supervision or Peer Reflection

• Connect with other peer workers monthly to share experiences and learn collectively​.

• Build solidarity and develop shared wisdom​.

3. Cultural Supervision

• Seek guidance from kaumātua, Pacific elders, faith leaders, or cultural advisors when working across cultures​.

• Essential for ensuring cultural safety and appropriateness​.

4. Peer-to-Peer Supervision

• Regular check-ins with your peer buddy for informal support and reality checks.

Connect with peer supervisors here.

We hold hope for others — to do that well, we must also hold space for ourselves.

Self-care is not viewed as separate from the work we do, but as part of the maintenance of one's own hauora.  When peer support workers are grounded in their own tikanga and connect to their values, they are better able to walk alongside tangata whai ora and whānau with integrity, alofa and hohourongo.

Why self-care matters

Peer support work in gambling harm can be emotionally intense. You may encounter situations that resonate deeply with your own experiences, face challenging emotional scenarios, or absorb the distress of those you support (vicarious trauma). A strong self-care foundation enables you to:​

• Identify early warning signs.

• Remain effective in your role.

• Continue your own recovery journey while helping others.

• Model healthy boundaries and wellbeing practices.

• Maintain clear work-life boundaries.

• Schedule rest and time for enjoyment.

• Sustain long-term commitment to peer work​.

• Create your Wellness Plan.