PEERFEST FACTS
Description
PeerFest is an educational and celebratory event for Texans who have faced mental health challenges and are on a journey to wellness.
Why is it unique?
First, PeerFest is completely designed, budgeted for, created, implemented, and carried out by Texans with lived mental health experience.
Second, it is an innovative project of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, in which the foundation turns over the funding, budgeting, fund raising, decision-making, and planning for the event completely to the planning committee.
Third, the self-care and wellness focus is different than a traditional conference focused only on education. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy the environment, learn, connect with others, play, experience, and rest & relax. The event is held in a desirable Texas location and almost all needs are taken care of including lodging and meals. Attendees pay a nominal registration fee and must manage their own travel. Once they arrive, they are warmly welcomed, fed generously, and generally treated with the unconditional high regard they deserve and haven’t often experienced.
Fourth, programming occurs between 7am and 10pm in order to best accommodate people’s varying body clocks and best times for wellness and connection.
Background Information
In December 2013, the National Alternatives Conference was held in Austin, Texas, for the first time in their 30+ year history. Over 300 people from across Texas were able to attend the conference with financial support from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. The spirit and energy of Texans who attended the national conference prompted the foundation to consider hosting a similar event specifically for and by Texans with lived mental health experiences.
In 2015, the foundation’s staff with lived mental health experience brought together a Planning Committee (PC) comprised of 25 individuals with lived mental health experience. Attention was paid to the committee's diversity in terms of mental health recovery experiences, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender, veteran status, and geography to ensure representation from all parts and people of the great state of Texas.
Modeled in part, after the National Alternatives Conference, PeerFest was created with the vision of a place where people with lived mental health experience would be inspired to connect with their peers and live their best lives.
An event by and for people with lived mental health experience, the event would provide an opportunity to learn about self-care, wellness tools, explore taboo, alternative, or inaccessible topics, and connect with peers.
The inaugural PeerFest in 2016, took place in Corpus Christi, Texas. The event was hugely successful and maxed out with over 300 attendees from all over Texas.
In 2019, with the support of Via Hope, the foundation again convened a PC of people with lived mental health experience, although this time with 12 members (as decided by the first PeerFest PC at the follow-up debrief).
PeerFest 2020 was scheduled to be held in April 2020, on Galveston Island, Texas. Unfortunately, COVID-19 occurred and caused at first a delay and eventually a complete cancellation of the event.
But PeerFest is back! PeerFest 2024 is scheduled to take place at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX, April 15-18, 2024. Over 350 attendees are expected at the much-anticipated event.
PeerFest is the only event of its kind in Texas, and one of four in-person events in the nation with mental health wellness for individuals with lived mental health experience at its core. It is also worth noting that as a project of the Hogg Foundation, there is no other project nationwide (possibly worldwide) similar to PeerFest in which the funder has handed over event decision-making and financial budgeting to an external group of planning committee members with lived mental health experience.
PeerFest Objectives
Connect Texans with lived mental health experience to a support network of peers.
Create an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere for Texans with lived mental health experience that is inclusive of diversity and various world views.
Educate Texans with lived mental health experience on the many pathways to wellness.
Empower Texans with lived mental health experience to create their best life.
What Does PeerFest Look Like?
PeerFest attendees will dine together for 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches and 2 Dinners.
6-8 Workshops will be conducted concurrently four-six times per day.
The Workshops will fall within 3 learning styles:
Listen & Learn Series provides information on wellness topics to educate participants.
Learn By Doing Series gives participants the opportunity to experience new wellness tools and skills.
Play & Connect Series reminds us that play is not only allowed, it is encouraged. It increases wellness and provides opportunities to connect with each other for support.
All PeerFest attendees receive wristbands giving them admittance to the Great Wolf Lodge water park each day. The wristbands are automatically included in all registrations.
PeerFest has the unmistakable feel of enthusiasm with people enjoying each other’s company, sharing laughter, and wellness in an inclusive atmosphere.
What Does PeerFest Sound Like? Quotes From PeerFest 2016:
I am writing this letter for myself and many others I spoke with at the recent PeerFest event in Corpus Christi. I cannot adequately express my thanks to everyone at The Hogg Foundation for conducting this wonderful event which brought Peers together from all over Texas. It was truly an amazing experience, one I found both intellectually stimulating and emotionally refreshing. - Michael C.
...the convention provided an invaluable opportunity for me to network with other Texas peers, share ideas, and talk about training needs, challenges, and career possibilities. - Fancy F.
I had a great time. It was fun and educational. I hope to see everyone soon. -Alan H.
Amazing PeerFest 2016! I believed it was a great success. Thank you for all you did to make it so. “ –Paul W.
Download a pdf of PeerFest Facts here.