Shoulder to Shoulder by With-you
Welcome to Shoulder to Shoulder
Shoulder to Shoulder is a podcast about the power of peer support and lived experience, and what happens when people who've been through tough times use that experience to help others.
But what is peer support? It's simple: people who've faced their own challenges offer understanding, connection, and hope to others going through similar challenges. That's the meaning of peer support, and it's at the heart of everything we do.
In a world that can make us feel alone when we're struggling, this podcast is a reminder that connection changes everything.
I'm Cate Munro, and each episode I talk with people who've faced real challenges - mental health struggles, addiction, trauma, grief, life-changing moments - and who now stand shoulder to shoulder with others on their own journeys.
My guests include peer support workers, people running peer support groups, and individuals whose lived experience has become their greatest strength.
They share their stories honestly: what happened, what helped, and how peer support made a difference.
Whether you're a peer support worker, thinking about becoming one, part of a peer support group, or simply believe in the power of human connection and shared experience, there's something here for you.
Before you listen: This podcast explores personal stories of growth, mental health and resilience. Some episodes include descriptions of trauma and distress. Please trust your instincts and look after yourself - it's always okay to pause or come back another time.
Thank you for being here.
Find out more about With-you Consultancy at www.with-you.co.uk
Shoulder to Shoulder by With-you
EP 36: Dr Justin Bell on peer workforces, US recovery models, and why lived experience must shape how systems support people.
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Dr Justin S. Bell is a community psychologist based in the US whose work sits in the intersection between lived experience, research, and system design. Justin studies how those in lived-experience roles are recruited, trained, supported, and too often, undervalued.
In this conversation, Justin talks to Cate about what first drew him to his work and why the working conditions for lived-experience professionals matter just as much as the evidence behind their roles.
He shares what he’s learned from years of researching peer workforces: what helps them thrive, what leads to burnout, and what organisations get wrong when they try to add peer roles without changing the culture.
We explore the state of peer support in the US and Justin reflects on the structural barriers that prevent peer workers from doing the work they’re trained for. Woven through it all is Justin’s belief that recovery isn’t a service, it’s a relationship, and that lived-experience leadership is central to any system that wants to be humane, hopeful and effective.
It’s a conversation about evidence, equity, and designing systems that make recovery possible.
You’ll hear about:
- Justin’s journey into community psychology and recovery research
- The realities of peer workforces in the US and what the data shows
- Working conditions, burnout, boundaries, and sustainability
- What organisations misunderstand about peer roles
- Why evidence alone won’t change systems but culture can
- Lessons from US models that the UK and elsewhere could learn from
- How lived experience reshapes research, practice and leadership
- What gives Justin hope for the future of peer support
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show notes & resources:
With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk