our Mission
Lived Experience & Recovery Network (LERN) is a membership-driven organization rooted in peer support, guided by inclusivity, and collective decision-making. Through ongoing revision and a refocus on long-term wellness, we aim to create an equitable environment where the fidelity of peer support thrives, evolving to meet both current and future needs.
Our vision
Empowering peer communities towards wellness and recovery for continuous growth and resilience.
Our values
Inclusivity:
Ensuring voices and experiences shape LERN’s direction.
Collaboration:
Uniting diverse individuals to enhance peer support.
Accountability:
Maintaining and ensuring that transparency is a priority.
Respect:
Honouring the values and fidelity of peer support.
lern’s history
LERN was founded in 1990 as the Northeast Ontario Consumer/Survivor Network (NEON), a grassroots organization created by and for individuals with lived and living experience of mental health, substance use and addiction.
In 2002, NEON became an incorporated non-profit organization, governed by a Board of Directors comprised of individuals with lived/living experience from across Northeastern Ontario. Its membership consisted of peer-led organizations and programs throughout the region. As a membership-driven organization, members collectively chose to rename NEON to the Lived Experience & Recovery Network (LERN) to better reflect its mission and the services it provides.
LERN is unique in Ontario—no other region has a dedicated & funded peer network. Initially supported by the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN 13), it is now funded by Ontario Health. Today, LERN continues to be membership-driven, serving 21 organizations across the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Nipissing, Muskoka–Parry Sound, and Cochrane–Temiskaming.