Peer support has a long tradition in informal services and today complements mental healthcare promoting recovery orientation and destigmatisation. Reflecting the values and principles of informal peer support and of trialogue activities of service users, carers, and professionals helps to improve mental health services. Involvement of individuals with lived experience has a long tradition at MH-TRN.  

The UKE was centrally involved in and shaped the S-3 national guidelines for psychosocial therapies for SMI, the treatment of psychotic disorders, including participatory approaches (Trialogue, peer support, EX-IN). As a consequence of these and many other efforts, peers were officially recognised as a professional group by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA).

We join forces and cooperate with different organisations and networks in order to promote destigmatisation, sensitisation for the perspectives and needs of individuals with mental health conditions, valuing their experience and those of carers and family members. We emphasise communication and decisions at eye-level, and a systemic (holistic) individualised view on the individual and his or her recovery.