Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Research Design
2.2. Ethics
2.3. Participation and Recruitment
2.4. Procedure
2.5. Data Collection and Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Benefits to Service Users
…we actually have people [peers] in our team [that] do hear voices, that still require hospitalisations at times …and they work and they have meaningful lives and they’re having those conversations with our consumers about that openly and people look at that and they go ‘wow’…what it does for people—‘ok this may not be my life forever, there’s actually hope here that something can change, even when things are really challenging’—Larry
…[going from] people [service users] spending at least 70% of their time in hospital to having 0% hospital admission and at least 30% of them not even being case managed and we’re talking about people [who were] being case managed for 15 years and heavily case managed—Bella
3.2. Benefits for the Organisation and Colleagues in Traditional Roles
…there is evidence that shows having a recovery support [peer] worker has driven a positive change, not just for the consumers [service users]—but within the clinical workforce. The culture of the clinical workforce in that team has changed—Dorrell
…this is the function of peer support, so you know it is this person’s job to make sure we’ve got consistent [recovery focused] language and that if they [peers] hear anything and it doesn’t sound like the correct sort of language we should be using, it’s their job to talk to the team about it—Oscar
…it’s a deeper understanding of what the stigma issues are. Stigma’s not something that you just see, it’s something that’s ingrained, it’s something that’s in everybody’s psyche …I think it’s well worth going through the process [employing peer staff] even if it was only just to break down the stigma—Josh
3.3. Limitations of Peer Work
…when we first started there was a lot of fear from the staff that ‘oh shit are they gonna be taking over our office’ you know ‘they better not be doing what we do’—Sam
…some of the positions themselves are, tokenistic is probably not an unfair word, or contrived in a way. There are also other organisations or other individuals for whom that [peer employment] really still is very much at the ‘you tick box’ kind of point—Matt
…if we have people [peer workers] talking to people [service users] about strategies for wellness absolutely they need to be able to manage their own. I’ve seen it have a very detrimental impact when we have an employee who was unwell talking about their stress and their un-wellness and their frustrations in front of consumers [service users]…they’re not coming here to listen to somebody else’s problems—Larry
...the peers are actually more proactive which I think is great because they know themselves and they know their limitations whereas sometimes some other staff [in traditional roles] think they’re ok and they’re not as attuned or aware of their own limitations—Sarah
3.4. Practical Strategies and Supports
3.4.1. Recruitment
We really want people to come in with all their quirks and bits and bobs that make them interesting, because we think the work we do is the work of relationships and people actually have much better relationships with humans than they do with ‘roles’—Matt
…as we’re recruiting new people we’re asking more questions, we’re a little bit smarter and it’s something that you learn over time... we now know what the right questions are to ask people.—Bruce
I think it was very much ‘we’re getting this money to do this, it’s gonna be great to have this fresh idea’ …rushed like a bull out a gate—just get people in positions and not actually think about whether they’re right for that position—Octavia
3.4.2. Flexible Workplaces/Reasonable Adjustments
…there is reasonable adjustment, we haven’t had to use that a great deal or call on it a great deal, cos I think people feel fairly supported and in a flexible working environment anyway…I don’t think any of us want to be wrapped in cotton wool and ‘kiddied’ through our roles, because that detracts from the roles—Alex
All of our support structures need to support all of our staff … because who’s to say a person doesn’t have a lived experience or a person does have a lived experience?—Josh
…when you shift the frame and you’re introducing [support or policies] in terms of a whole of organisation, what you’re actually doing is de-stigmatising as well—Penny
3.4.3. Supervision
…it’s not only is the worker doing okay but it’s also is the organisation doing okay by the worker, and I think supervision is a medium whereby that at least can be checked—Pippa
4. Discussion
4.1. Value of Role: Benefits of Peer Roles
4.2. Limitations of Peer Roles and Strategies to Maximise Benefits
4.3. Limitations of the Study
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Gordon, S.E.; Ellis, P.M. Recovery of evidence-based practice. Int. J. Ment. Health Nurs. 2013, 22, 3–14. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Anthony, W.A. Recovery from mental illness: The guiding vision of the mental health service system in the 1990’s. Psychosoc. Rehabil. J. 1993, 16, 521–538. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Roberts, G.; Boardman, J. Becoming a recovery-oriented practitioner. Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 2014, 20, 37–47. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mandiberg, J.; Gates, L. A community of practice for peer mental workers: Lessons learned. Am. J. Psychiatr. Rehabil. 2017, 20, 156–174. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- NSW Mental Health Commission. Living Well: A Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW; NSW Mental Health Commission: Sydney, Australia, 2014; Available online: https://nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au/sites/default/files/141002%20Living%20Well%20-%20A%20Strategic%20Plan%20(1).pdf (accessed on 12 April 2017).
- Trachtenberg, M.; Parsonage, M.; Shepherd, G.; Boardman, J. Peer Support in Mental Health Care: Is It Good Value for Money? Available online: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/60793/1/Trachtenberg_etal_Report-Peer-support-in-mental-health-care-is-it-good-value-for-money_2013.pdf (accessed on 4 March 2016).
- Vayshenker, B.; Mulay, A.L.; Gonzales, L.; West, M.L.; Brown, I.; Yanos, P.T. Participation in peer support services and outcomes related to recovery. Psychiatr. Rehabil. J. 2016, 39, 274–281. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Boutillier, C.L.; Slade, M.; Lawrence, V.; Bird, V.J.; Chandler, R.; Farkas, M.; Harding, C.; Larsen, J.; Oades, L.G.; Roberts, G.; et al. Competing priorities: Staff perspectives on supporting recovery. Adm. Policy Ment. Health 2015, 42, 429–438. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Crane, D.A.; Lepicki, T.; Knudsen, K. Unique and common elements of the role of peer support in the context of traditional mental health services. Psychiatr. Rehabil. J. 2016, 39, 282–288. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mead, S.; MacNeil, C. Peer support: What makes it unique? Int. J. Psychosoc. Rehabil. 2006, 10, 29–37. [Google Scholar]
- Byrne, L.; Roper, C.; Happell, B.; Reid-Searl, K. The stigma of identifying as having a lived experience runs before me: Challenges for lived experience roles. J. Ment. Health 2016. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Sweeney, A.; Gillard, S.; Wykes, T.; Rose, D. The role of fear in mental health service users’ experiences: A qualitative exploration, social psychiatry and psychiatric. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2015, 50, 1079–1087. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Loumpa, V. Promoting recovery through peer support: Possibilities for social work practice. Soc. Work Health Care 2012, 51, 53–65. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Michaels, P.; Corrigan, P.W.; Buchholz, B.; Brown, J.; Arthur, T.; Netter, C.; MacDonald-Wilson, K.L. Changing stigma through a consumer-based stigma reduction program. Community Ment. Health J. 2014, 50, 395–401. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Rüsch, N.; Abbruzzese, E.; Hagedorn, E.; Hartenhauer, D.; Kaufmann, I.; Curschellas, J.; Ventling, S.; Zuaboni, G.; Bridler, R.; Olschewski, M.; et al. Efficacy of coming out proud to reduce stigma’s impact among people with mental illness: Pilot randomised controlled trial. Br. J. Psychiatry 2014, 204, 391–397. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kern, R.S.; Zarate, R.; Glynn, S.M.; Turner, L.R.; Smith, K.M.; Mitchell, S.S.; Becker, D.R.; Drake, R.E.; Kopelowicz, A.; Tovey, W.; et al. A demonstration project involving peers as providers of evidence-based, supported employment services. Psychiatr. Rehabil. J. 2013, 36, 99–107. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Charmaz, K. Constructing Grounded Theory, 2nd ed.; Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; New Delhi, India; London, UK, 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Birks, M.; Mills, J. Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed.; Sage Publications: London, UK, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- World Medical Association. World medical association declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA 2013, 310, 2191–2194. [Google Scholar]
- Strauss, A.; Corbin, J. Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques, 2nd ed.; Sage Publications: Newbury Park, CA, USA; London, UK; New Delhi, India, 1990. [Google Scholar]
- Corbin, J.; Strauss, A. Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, 3rd ed.; Sage Publications: Newbury Park, CA, USA; London, UK; New Delhi, India, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- O’Hagan, M. Recovery: Is consensus possible? World Psychiatry 2012, 11, 167–168. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Perkins, R.; Repper, J. Challenging discrimination within mental health services: The importance of using lived experience in the work place. Ment. Health Soc. Incl. 2014, 18. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jackson, F.; Fong, T. Why not a peer worker. Ment. Health Soc. Incl. 2017, 21. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kottsieper, P.; Kundra, L.B. Full Disclosure: When Mental Health Professionals Reveal Their Mental Illness at Work, 2017. Available online: www.tucollaborative.org (accessed on 3 December 2017).
- Cronise, R.; Teixeira, C.; Rogers, E.S.; Harrington, S. The peer support workforce: Results of a national survey. Psychiatr. Rehabil. J. 2016, 39, 211–221. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Harrison, J.; Read, J. Literature Review: Challenges Associated with the Implementation of Peer Staff Roles in Mainstream Mental Health and Addiction Agencies; Self Help: Kitchener, ON, Canada, 2017. [Google Scholar]
- Gillard, S.; Foster, R.; Gibson, S.; Goldsmith, L.; Marks, J.; White, S. Describing a principles-based approach to developing and evaluating peer worker roles as peer support moves into mainstream mental health services. Ment. Health Soc. Incl. 2017, 21, 133–143. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Davis, J.K. Supervision of peer specialists in community mental health centers: Practices that predict role clarity. Soc. Work Ment. Health 2015, 13, 145–158. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Williams, M.; Sabata, D.; Zolna, J. User needs evaluation of workplace accommodations. Work J. Prev. Assess. Rehabil. 2006, 27, 355–362. [Google Scholar]
- McDowell, C.; Fossey, E. Workplace accommodations for people with mental illness: A scoping review. J. Occup. Rehabil. 2015, 25, 197–206. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Villotti, P.; Corbière, M.; Fossey, E.; Fraccaroli, F.; Lecomte, T.; Harvey, C. Work accommodations and natural supports for employees with severe mental illness in social businesses: An international comparison. Community Ment. Health J. 2017, 53, 864–870. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Khalema, N.E.; Shankar, J. Perspectives on employment integration, mental illness and disability and workplace health. Adv. Public Health 2014, 7. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jin, M.; Lee, J.; Lee, M. Does leadership matter in diversity management? Assessing the relative impact of diversity policy and inclusive leadership in the public sector. Leadersh. Org. Dev. J. 2017, 38, 303–319. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Agars, M.D.; Kottke, J.L. Models and practice of diversity management: A historical review and presentation of a new integration theory. In The Psychology and Management of Workplace Diversity; Blackwell Pub.: Malden, MA, USA, 2004; pp. 55–77. [Google Scholar]
- Paluch, T.; Fossey, E. Harvey, C. Social firms: Building cross-sectoral partnerships to create employment opportunity and supportive workplaces for people with mental illness. Work J. Prev. Assess. Rehabil. 2012, 43, 63–75. [Google Scholar]
- Vandewalle, J.; Debyser, B.; Beeckman, D.; Vandecasteele, T.; Van Hecke, A.; Verhaeghe, S. Peer workers’ perceptions and experiences of barriers to implementation of peer worker roles in mental health services: A literature review. Int. J. Nurs. Stud. 2016, 60, 234–250. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Cho, S.; Kim, A.; Mor Barak, M.E. Does diversity matter? Exploring workforce diversity, diversity management, and organizational performance in social enterprises. Asian Soc. Work Policy Rev. 2017, 11, 193–204. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mor Barak, M.E.; Levin, A. Outside of the corporate mainstream and excluded from the work community: A study of diversity, job satisfaction and well-being. Commun. Work Fam. 2001, 5, 133–157. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
No. of Participants | Type of Role Participants Were Employed in |
---|---|
11 | Traditional executive or senior management roles within not for profit organisations |
8 | Traditional executive or senior management roles within government organisations |
5 | Designated peer executive or senior management roles within not for profit organisations |
3 | Designated peer executive or senior management roles within government organisations |
2 | Designated carer executive or senior management roles within government organisations |
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Byrne, L.; Roennfeldt, H.; O’Shea, P.; Macdonald, F. Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 746. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040746
Byrne L, Roennfeldt H, O’Shea P, Macdonald F. Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15(4):746. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040746
Chicago/Turabian StyleByrne, Louise, Helena Roennfeldt, Peri O’Shea, and Fiona Macdonald. 2018. "Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 4: 746. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040746