Basically, a "peer" in "peer support" or "peer-led" (sometimes known as "consumer-led") services, refers to services that are provided by people with experience of mental health issues, who have used services before, and who are trained to provide support/services to others (Te Pou, 2009). This is very consistent with the Recovery Approach, which defines recovery as a journey, on which there are those who have gone before you and there are others who will come after. So someone who is further along on their recovery journey can provide support for someone earlier on theirs. These quotes (from the linked page above) were from the 2009 National Peer Support Forum and sums up the importance/relevance of peer services very well:
“Its like asking someone who has never tasted apples or apple juice to describe the taste of apple juice to you”.
“If you were building a house, who would you want to help you? Someone who had read a book about building a house or someone who had done it successfully?”Well, if it were me, I'd definitely want someone who's "been there, done that" to help me. I really like the description of someone who had "read a book" versus someone who had built a house successfully. It may seem a bit harsh to say so but essentially, I guess that describes mental health providers who aren't users and have been trained to provide traditional services. We've gone through the courses, done the training, read the books and articles, but we haven't "walked the walk".
Anyone with any thoughts on that? What if it were you?
Reference
Te Pou. (2009). What is peer support? Retrieved August 27, 2010, from http://www.tepou.co.nz/page/697-service-user-workforce-development+peer-support+what-is-peer-support
Although I like the thought of having someone who has been there guide me, is there not comfort in having someone come on your journey who has only the theory knowledge in order for them to learn too? How often do we hear that you can't do something because you have no experience!
ReplyDeleteMaybe later in the journey I might feel happy that I helped a health professional understand/learn, assuming they did. But at the time I guess I'd prefer to have someone who understands help me out, especially if I'm pretty unwell, I probably won't be realistically thinking about anyone else but me! Sad but if I'm honest...
ReplyDeleteAgree with you though that lack of experience is really a man-made barrier to participation! In an ideal world I think we'd all be allowed to learn on the job. Kolb's experiential learning, right? ;)
My experience in mental health and Māori health has lead me to believe this is crucial to recovery for menatl health clients especially with long term mental illness. Did you see Tania's article under opinion piece in the July edition of NZAOT Insight? She telks a little of this and is now doing peer support work at a ngo mental health service here in the Hutt. Unfortunatly funding for peer support is not proritised and often is not provided as much as it should be in services today.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, thanks for your comment! I assume you're an OT from the Hutt? No I didn't see that article, you wouldn't happen to have a link to it somewhere would you? :) Hopefully maybe as the evidence base for peer services grows (and by evidence base I guess I mean more qualitative studies about the user's perspectives) funding will increase?
ReplyDeleteHi Angeline,
ReplyDeleteI was struck by one client in particular whislt on placement in MH, when this client expressed to me their goals to study as a health professional so she "could help others who have been in my situation". Although she was very unwell, she herself could see the value that her recovery journey could bring to others in a similar situation down the track.
It was a lofty goal for her but gave her a purpose to boost her recovery. I thought to myself at the time what a unique and deep perspective she could bring to future clients if she did follow this goal through.
Thanks for sharing that Rach, that sounds like what Jo was talking about! I really hope that at some stage she will be able to fulfill her dream and help others on their recovery as well as inspire and instill hope in both clinicians and users. In my next post I talked about how peer services brings benefits not only for the users, but the peer and the MH team as well. Really encouraging!
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