Background:
The extant literature suggests that poorly defined job roles make it difficult for peer supportworkers to be successful, and hinder their integration into multi-disciplinary workplaceteams. This article uses data gathered as part of a participatory evaluation of a peer supportprogram at a psychiatric tertiary care facility to specify the work that peers do.
Methods:
Data were gathered through interviews, focus groups, and activity logs and were analyzedusing a modified grounded theory approach.
Results:
Peers engage in direct work with clients and in indirect work that supports their work withclients. The main types of direct work are advocacy, connecting to resources, experientialsharing, building community, relationship building, group facilitation, skillbuilding/mentoring/goal setting, and socialization/self-esteem building. The main types ofindirect work are group planning and development, administration, team communication,supervision/training, receiving support, education/awareness building, and informationgathering and verification. In addition, peers also do work aimed at building relationshipswith staff and work aimed at legitimizing the peer role. Experience, approach, presence, rolemodeling, collaboration, challenge, and compromise can be seen as the tangible enactmentsof peers’ philosophy of work.
Conclusions:
Candidates for positions as peer support workers require more than experience with mentalhealth and/or addiction problems. The job description provided in this article may not beappropriate for all settings, but it will contribute to a better understanding of the peer supportworker position, the skills required, and the types of expectations that could define successfulfulfillment of the role.