Community Highlight | Meet Jameel

Jameel is a person who has lived experience in substance use and mental illness. When his father passed away he ended up in the hospital. His path to recovery took a long time and was quite miraculous. 

In addition to this, Jameel now works as a Peer Support at both the hospital and in the community. Jameel wanted to work as a Peer Support for a while but his substance use and mental illness were too strong to go into the field right away. He worked on his addiction and got some clean time under his belt. He then heard about the Peer Support program through Friends of Music and decided to take the training.

Jameel’s spiritual work and hobbies continue to support him in his recovery. He likes reading books such as the Untethered Soul by Michael Singer and the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.  He also prays, meditates and has been playing guitar for 22 years. He has been playing with Friends of Music for about one year and really loves giving back and seeing other people grow in their journey. Today he really loves his life and he looks forward to growing even more.

Jameel believes that because more and more people are becoming mentally ill, there will be an increasing need for Peer Support and general support for mental health and substance use.

Jameel co-facilitates the PSR Collaborative’s Imagine Afternoon Drop-In at the Victoria Event Centre. The drop-in happens on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1-3 pm and is open to folks experiencing a mental health challenge as well as their friends, family and support network. It’s a safe, welcoming and fun space to meet new people and socialize! Come on down to the drop-in to meet Jameel and our other Peer Support workers and guests!