Abstract
Globally, health care systems stakeholders have encouraged health systems change that reflects recovery oriented practice. The implementation and integration of Peer Support Workers is one such strategy. Yet, what factors should be considered in the implementation of these roles? How can services be integrated effectively? Recent literature will be reviewed to explore current knowledge about peer support, and offer considerations for effective implementation of peer supports into current health care systems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anthony, W. A. (1993). Recovery from mental illness: The guiding vision of the mental health service system in the 1990s. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 16(4), 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0095655.
Asad, S., & Chreim, S. (2016). Peer support providers’ role experiences on interprofessional mental health care teams: A qualitative study. Community Mental Health Journal, 52(7), 767–774. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9970-5.
Austin, E., Ramakrishnan, A., & Hopper, K. (2014). Embodying recovery: A qualitative study of peer work in a consumer-run service setting. Community Mental Health Journal, 50(8), 879–885. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9693-z.
Corrigan, P. W., Torres, A., Lara, J. L., Sheehan, L., & Larson, J. E. (2017). The healthcare needs of latinos with serious mental illness and the potential of peer navigators. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 44(4), 547–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-016-0737-2.
Dale, J., Caramlau, I. O., Lindenmeyer, A., & Williams, S. M. (2008). Peer support telephone calls for improving health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006903.pub2.
Dark, F., Patton, M., & Newton, R. (2017). A substantial peer workforce in a psychiatric service will improve patient outcomes: The case for. Australasian Psychiatry, 25(5), 441–444. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856217700297.
Davidson, G., Brophy, L., & Campbell, J. (2016). Risk, recovery and capacity: Competing or complementary approaches to mental health social work. Australian Social Work, 69(2), 158–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2015.1126752.
Davidson, L., Bellamy, C., Guy, K., & Miller, R. (2012). Peer support among persons with severe mental illnesses: A review of evidence and experience. World Psychiatry, 11(2), 123–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wpsyc.2012.05.009.
Davis, J. K., & Pilgrim, S. I. (2015). Maximizing utilization of peer specialists in community mental health: The Next step in implementation. Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health, 2(1), 67–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40737-015-0026-5.
Dixon, L., Hackman, A., & Lehman, A. (1997). Consumers as staff in assertive community treatment programs. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 25(2), 199–208.
Gates, L. B., & Akabas, S. H. (2007). Develo** strategies to integrate peer providers into the staff of mental health agencies. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 34(3), 293–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-006-0109-4.
Gillard, S., Holley, J., Gibson, S., Larsen, J., Lucock, M., Oborn, E., … Stamou, E. (2015). Introducing new peer worker roles into mental health services in England: Comparative case study research across a range of organisational contexts. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(6), 682–694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0603-z.
Kuhn, W., Bellinger, J., Stevens-Manser, S., & Kaufman, L. (2015). Integration of peer specialists working in mental health service settings. Community Mental Health Journal, 51(4), 453–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9841-0.
Leamy, M., Bird, V., Le Boutillier, C., Williams, J., & Slade, M. (2011). Conceptual framework for personal recovery in mental health: Systematic review and narrative synthesis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(6), 445–452. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.110.083733.
Lloyd-Evans, B., Mayo-Wilson, E., Harrison, B., Istead, H., Brown, E., Pilling, S., … Kendall, T. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of peer support for people with severe mental illness. BMC Psychiatry, 14, 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-14-39.
Mancini, M. A. (2018). An exploration of factors that effect the implementation of peer support services in community mental health settings. Community Mental Health Journal, 54(2), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0145-4.
Mead, S., Hilton, D., & Curtis, L. (2001). Peer support: A theoretical perspective. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 25(2), 134–141. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0095032.
Nemeth, E., & Kolozsi, B. (1999). Communication and social skills training for peer helpers: An east European program. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 26(5), 373–375.
O’Connell, M. J., Sledge, W. H., Staeheli, M., Sells, D., Costa, M., Wieland, M., & Davidson, L. (2018). Outcomes of a peer mentor intervention for persons with recurrent psychiatric hospitalization. Psychiatric Services, 69(7), 760–767.
Paulson, R., Herinckx, H., Demmler, J., Clarke, G., Cutler, D., & Birecree, E. (1999). Comparing practice patterns of consumer and non-consumer mental health service providers. Community Mental Health Journal, 35(3), 251–269.
Pitt, V., Lowe, D., Hill, S., Prictor, M., Hetrick, S. E., Ryan, R., & Berends, L. (2013). Consumer-providers of care for adult clients of statutory mental health services. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004807.pub2.
Repper, J., & Carter, T. (2011). A review of the literature on peer support in mental health services. Journal of Mental Health, 20(4), 392–411. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638237.2011.583947.
Scott, A., Doughty, C., & Kahi, H. (2011). ‘Having those conversations’: The politics of risk in peer support practice. Health Sociology Review, 20(2), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.5172/hesr.2011.20.2.187.
Sheehan, L., Torres, A., Lara, J. L., Paniagua, D., Larson, J. E., Mayes, J., … Corrigan, P. W. (2017). Qualitative evaluation of a peer navigator program for latinos with serious mental illness. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-017-0839-5.
Slade, M., Amering, M., Farkas, M., Hamilton, B., O’Hagan, M., Panther, G., … Whitley, R. (2014). Uses and abuses of recovery: Implementing recovery-oriented practices in mental health systems. World Psychiatry, 13(1), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20084.
Sunderland, K., & Mishkin, W. (2013). Guidelines for the practice and training of peer support. Calgary: Peer Leadership Group, Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Thomas, E. C., Despeaux, K. E., Drapalski, A. L., & Bennett, M. (2018). Person-oriented recovery of individuals with serious mental illnesses: A review and meta-analysis of longitudinal findings. Psychiatric Services, 69(3), 259–267. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201700058.
Vandewalle, J., Debyser, B., Beeckman, D., Vandecasteele, T., Van Hecke, A., & Verhaeghe, S. (2016). Peer workers’ perceptions and experiences of barriers to implementation of peer worker roles in mental health services: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 60, 234–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.04.018.
Watson, E. (2017). The mechanisms underpinning peer support: A literature review. Journal of Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2017.1417559.
Williams, S., Sammut, A., & Blaxland, W. (2006). Boundary crossing and boundary violation by service providers and carers in dementia care. International Psychogeriatrics, 18(03), 565. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610206214029.
World Health Organization. (2014). Fact Files: 10 Facts on Mental Health. Accessed online from: https://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
No conflicts of interest have been identified.
Research Involving Human and Animal Participants
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by the author.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kent, M. Develo** a Strategy to Embed Peer Support into Mental Health Systems. Adm Policy Ment Health 46, 271–276 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-018-0912-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-018-0912-8