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Peer Education Support Program (PESP)

Working alongside people who have been without a home

The Peer Education Support Program (PESP) is a volunteer program run by Council to Homeless Persons, which links people who have been without a home to organisations and government bodies to help improve Victoria’s homelessness service system and policies.

This flexible program supports people who have been without a home to advocate and speak knowledgeably about the systemic and structural issues behind homelessness, working within a facilitated and supportive peer group.

The PESP team plays a vital role in enhancing understandings of homelessness and developing solutions, while promoting the transformative power of consumer participation in service design and policy making.

PESP team members are available for activities including (but not limited to):

training and advice

group and individual presentations

peer facilitation of focus groups, interviews, and surveys

peer support

media interviews and activities

consultation with all levels of government

consultation with the specialist homelessness sector and related sectors

participation in working / steering groups and committees.

To book a PESP team member for an activity, or for more information, email pespenquiries@chp.org.au

Please note: due to high demand all new PESP bookings will be closed from Friday 23/2/24 and will reopen Monday 11/3/24

Meet the PESP team

Our PESP team is a group of remarkable people who volunteer their time to help others understand homelessness.

PESP team members who have finished the program have the opportunity to become graduate members. Graduate team members continue their involvement with the program and are available take part in PESP activities.

How can PESP help?

The perspectives of people who have been without a home can add valuable insights to training, events, media, and calendar activities.

Find a range of ready-made activities below, or if you have other ideas, the team would love to hear them. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Understanding homelessness training

Presented by PESP members, this training provides a comprehensive overview of key homelessness issues from the perspective of individuals who have been without a home.

Learning objectives

To provide participants with a detailed understanding of homelessness – including its definitions, causes, effects, and the lived experience – in order to inform their work.

Topics covered

The topics delivered have been developed in collaboration with PESP members, and include:

definitions of homelessness and statistics

myths and facts

causes and effects of homelessness

consumers of homelessness services

personal experiences

rights-based approach versus charity.

Duration and delivery

1.5 hours / In-person or online

Bookings

To book this training for your organisation or team, please email pespenquiries@chp.org.au

Please note: Due to high demand all new PESP bookings will be closed from Friday 23/2/24 and will reopen Monday 11/3/24

Find more training opportunities

Council to Homeless Persons offers a range of ways for businesses and government to enhance understandings of homelessness.

PESP Resources

Learn more about PESP with the resources below. If you work in a front-line service, you are encouraged to download and print the PESP information sheet for people visiting your service.

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