Published on: 9 October 2026
To mark World Mental Health Day, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is sharing a series of stories from colleagues with lived experience, highlighting the importance of connection, understanding and hope in mental health recovery.
Gail Asher is a Parent Carer Peer Support Worker and Expert by Experience within the Trust’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), which supports children and young people with their mental health. Through the parent2parent peer support service, she uses her experience of supporting her neurodivergent son with his mental health to help other parents and carers feel understood, less isolated and better able to navigate services.
Why did you become a Peer Support Worker?
When my neurodivergent son was struggling with his mental health, at the time there was very limited support available for us as parents. We found ourselves ‘battling the system’ to get him the right help across healthcare, education and social care.
Trying to navigate services alone can feel overwhelming, particularly alongside caring responsibilities and everyday life. Having someone to talk to who genuinely cares, understands and can signpost you to helpful services can reduce isolation and lift some of that burden.
I became a Peer Support Worker because I wanted to make a difference and help ensure other parents did not feel the way we did.
What do you love about being a Peer Support Worker?
As a carer for two people, I cannot always commit to fixed working hours, so the flexibility of the role is important to me.
The role is incredibly rewarding and therapeutic. It gives me the opportunity to connect with people, continue learning, reflect on my own experiences and practice, and further develop the skills I use to help others. It also supports me with my own family’s recovery journey.
It is important to look after yourself and have effective support and supervision, as the work can sometimes be triggering and emotionally challenging. However, for me, the benefits definitely outweigh this.
What does peer support mean to you?
The Trust’s CAMHS peer support service is called parent2parent, which reflects what makes it so special. It is non-judgemental and provides the experience of being understood without having to explain everything.
Peer support is about focusing on strengths and small wins, joining the dots between families walking a similar path and helping people feel less isolated. Above all, it is about conveying hope that is grounded in reality. The challenges may feel overwhelming, but with the right support they can be overcome.
What difference can peer support make?
Peer support can be powerful because of the strength of the connection it creates. It can provide validation and hope, even on the darkest of days.
Feedback from one parent following an online support group session captured this impact: “It’s just so good. The warm interactions between the parents and facilitators means you find just that little more courage to fight another day.”
What would you say to someone considering becoming a Peer Support Worker?
If you are some way along your own recovery journey, have built up resilience and want to help others, go for it. Becoming a Peer Support Worker can be a rewarding experience on many levels.
You don’t need to have the answers, and you don’t have to navigate this alone. Sometimes the greatest support is having someone who understands walking alongside you.
