This project, named Accompaniment and Peer Support in Mental Health (IFA+), is an initiative of the Integrated Vocational Training Center (CIFP) Felo Monzón Grau-Bassas in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. It combines a theoretical phase with practical training in real social intervention settings, preparing students for a crucial role in the socio-health sector.
The proposal is the result of collaboration between the Canary Islands Government's Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Canary Islands Employment Service, and the Cabildo de Gran Canaria. The Canary Islands Association for Mental Health Integration Espiral and the Charter 100 Women's Association are also actively involved, highlighting the multidisciplinary nature and social commitment of the program.
Recently, a symbolic event was held where identification vests were handed to the first cohort of students. This event marked the end of the theoretical phase and the beginning of practical training in socio-health centers in Gran Canaria, where students will perform support, accompaniment, and guidance functions for people with mental health difficulties.
“"Vocational Training in the Canary Islands is taking firm steps to adapt to the real needs of society, opening new opportunities for all students through innovative projects like this one."
This training pathway is based on the peer support model, which values lived experience in mental health processes as an effective tool to accompany others, fostering their autonomy and well-being. Participants, with their own experience in psychological distress and recovery, will offer emotional support and collaborate with professional teams, contributing to reducing the stigma associated with mental health.
The program is structured with modules linked to the professional certificate in Socio-health care for dependent persons in social institutions, ensuring an accredited qualification. The practical phase takes place in centers of the Insular Institute of Social and Socio-health Care (IASS), dependent on the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, where students integrate into specialized teams, always respecting confidentiality and the limits of their role.
This initiative not only opens a new employment pathway for participants but has also garnered interest from other island councils in the archipelago, which are studying its possible implementation in their respective territories, solidifying the Canary Islands as a benchmark in this field.
