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People who have been there give courage for the next step.
Peers have been through vocational integration or a similar crisis themselves. They support policyholders through registration, assessment, measures and return to work, as equals and outside the authority, and help reduce fear and shame towards the institution.
What peers achieve in the IV process
Integration succeeds when policyholders stay on track. But assessments take time, measures are demanding, and many experience the IV mainly as an authority and sometimes as an impersonal control body. Peers build trust because they have walked the path themselves.
Book an intro callTrust from outside
Policyholders can talk through their fears and doubts with peers. What they share is treated confidentially.
Staying on track when it gets hard
Someone who has made it back to work gives courage, especially after setbacks or when things feel particularly difficult.
Finding your way through the process
Peers explain from their own experience how assessments, measures and meetings work, and so take away a lot of uncertainty.
Suited to young people and policyholders with mental strain
Online, low-threshold and at your own pace: this is how the programme reaches exactly the groups the IV is currently focusing on.
Clear roles, relieved professionals
Peers do not advise on insurance matters; decisions remain with the IV office. Everyday questions and worries go to the peers, so that professionals have more time for their core tasks again.
Facts and figures
Why it’s worth it
of people in IV vocational integration measures have a mental illness, and 64% among young people.
Source: FSIO, 2025 figurespeople took part in vocational integration measures in 2025, more than three times as many as in 2008.
Source: FSIO, 2025 figuresnew IV pensions due to mental illness per 100,000 inhabitants (2024). In 2014, the figure was 110.
Source: FSIO, background document 2026How it works
Getting started is simple
Referral
The integration specialist recommends the programme, and the policyholder signs up voluntarily.
Matching
A professional connects them with a peer who has had a similar experience, for example from the same industry, with a similar diagnosis or in a similar phase of life.
Support
Exchange during assessment, measures and return to work, online and at your own pace.
Reporting
The IV office receives anonymised figures on use and satisfaction.
A peer is living proof that recovery, social participation and an active life are possible again after serious crises or illnesses.
Scientific evidence
Evidence-based, not just well-meant
Peer support relieves depressive symptoms significantly better than usual care.
Pfeiffer et al., 2011, meta-analysis of randomised trials ↗ Evidence on Mental illness →Evidence on 7 topics, from dementia to oncology.
Method & evidence →FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is participation voluntary?
Yes. Policyholders decide for themselves whether and for how long they use the programme.
Which policyholders is the programme suitable for?
For policyholders in early intervention, integration measures or vocational measures, especially with mental strain and among young adults.
Are the peers IV employees?
That depends on the model that suits your IV office. In the simplest case, restful provides a pool of experienced peers. They stand outside the process, and this is precisely what builds trust with policyholders. If you want to firmly embed peer work in your IV office, we help you recruit suitable staff with lived experience and build your own pool. Hybrid models in between are also possible. In every case, we prepare the peers for their role and support them.
Does the IV office find out what is discussed?
No. The exchange is confidential. The IV office only receives anonymised figures on use and satisfaction.
How is the programme funded?
We work that out together, for example through a time-limited pilot. In an intro call, we will show you which options are suitable for your IV office.
Let’s talk!
Raphael ReberStrategy & partnershipsEmail
Let’s talk about your project
Over coffee in Bern or on a video call: we are happy to take time for your needs and questions. Book a no-obligation intro call with Raphael directly.
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