Abstract
The employment of peer providers (people who draw on their lived experience of mental health challenges) has grown in conjunction with the increased acceptance of recovery as a key principle in mental health policy and practice. Barriers to the integration of peer providers in mental health services have been well documented. This review addresses an under-explored area by consolidating strategies undertaken by mental health organizations for the successful implementation of peer provision. A scoping review was chosen to facilitate the rapid summary and dissemination of research findings that are relevant to policymakers and practitioners. Peer-reviewed articles and grey literature were sourced from three databases, key peer support websites and a hand search of the included studies. Following screening, data were extracted from 28 studies: 25 qualitative and three mixed methods studies. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and organized into themes. Four themes emerged from the data. Championing of peer provision initiatives by organizational leadership is central to the success and sustainability of peer provision. Leadership undergirds three strategies that were discussed: organizational preparation, recruitment, training and induction, and support and development. When peer provision is championed by organizational leadership, measures can be undertaken to prepare the organization for peer provision; recruit, train and induce peer providers successfully into the organization; and support peer providers on the job.
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The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Australian Government Research Training Scheme in supporting this project.
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GZ conceptualised the review, retrieved, analysed and interpreted the data and was a major contributor in writing the manuscript. BM finalised the data for inclusion into the study and reviewed the themes in the data synthesis process. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Zeng, G., McNamara, B. Strategies Used to Support Peer Provision in Mental Health: A Scoping Review. Adm Policy Ment Health 48, 1034–1045 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-021-01118-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-021-01118-6