Become a Chapter Lead in your community.

Facilitate peer support to adult patients and families.

Chapter Leads Supporting Patients & Families

Peer Support Chapters are community-based groups throughout Canada, that offer peer-to-peer support for adults living with PANS/PANDAS, as well, families supporting children with PANS/PANDAS.
IBA’s support program is run by volunteers with lived experience. Our Chapter Leads are passionate and want to help others by sharing their experiences to empower and provide hope to others.
The key role of a Chapter Lead is to facilitate peer support to adult patients or families in their local community by offering emotional support, and education related to challenges and support with system navigation.
Having local community chapters ensures a link to local medical and mental health services and resources.

Organize and run peer support chapters in their community.
For many chapters this is facilitated through a quarterly meeting.
Providing support through shared experience is at the heart of IBA, and is a key support to the community.
Medical and mental health services can be fragmented and frustrating for parents and caregivers to navigate. Our peer support chapters help families with their journey.

May facilitate opportunities for learning and development. These opportunities may range from guest speakers to workshops, or the sharing of information from local service providers.
Consult with local families to identify their needs and interests and organize the chapter accordingly.

Play a pivotal role in affecting change in the medical and mental health system by lifting up patient and family voices about the challenges they encountered on their journey.
May sit on patient/family advisory committees, education advisory committees, and be advisors for PANS research studies.
Many Chapter Leads realize their unique role to not only share their perspective on system improvement, but to also bring the family voice.