Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Factors Supporting the Employment of Young Adult Peer Providers: Perspectives of Peers and Supervisors

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Peer providers are a promising practice for transition-age youth community mental health treatment engagement and support, yet little is known about the experience of being a young adult peer provider or what helps to make an individual in this role successful. Utilizing a capital theory lens, this study uses data from focus groups (two with young adult peer providers and two with their supervisors) to examine facilitators of young adult peer provider success in community mental health treatment settings. Eight factors were identified as critical to young adult peer provider on-the-job success: persistence, job confidence, resilience, job training, skilled communications with colleagues, regular and individualized supervision, support from colleagues, and family support. Findings suggest that young adult peer providers may benefit immensely from an agency level focus on fostering social organizational capital as well as more individualized efforts to increase cultural, social, and psychological capital through training and supervision.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmed, A. O., Hunter, K. M., Mabe, A. P., Tucker, S. J., & Buckley, P. F. (2015). The professional experiences of peer specialists in the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network. Community Mental Health Journal, 51(4), 424–436.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arnett, J. J. (2014). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

  • Asad, S., & Chreim, S. (2015). Peer support providers’ role experiences on interprofessional mental health care teams: A qualitative study. Community Mental Health Journal. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/journal/10597.

  • Avey, J. B., Reichard, R. J., Luthans, F., & Mhatre, K. H. (2011). Meta-analysis of the impact of positive psychological capital on employee attitudes, behaviors, and performance. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 22(2), 127 –152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, T. N., & Erdogan, B. (2014). Delineating and reviewing the role of newcomer capital in organizational socialization. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 439–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blash, L., Chan, M. K., & Chapman, S. (2015). The peer provider workforce in behavioral health: A landscape analysis. Retrieved from http://healthworkforce.ucsf.edu/sites/healthworkforce.ucsf.edu/files/Report-Peer_Provider_Workforce_in_Behavioral_Health-A_Landscape_Analysis.pdf.

  • Blau, G. M., Caldwell, B., Fisher, S. K., Kuppinger, A., Levison-Johnson, J., & Lieberman, R. (2010). The building bridges initiative: Residential and community-based providers, families, and youth coming together to improve outcomes. Child Welfare, 89(2), 21–39.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bliss, C., Cohen, A. J., & Harcourt, G. C. (2005). Capital Theory: Volume I. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). New York: Greenwood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chinman, M., George, P., Dougherty, R. H., Daniels, A. S., Ghose, S. S., Swift, A., & Delphin-Rittmon, M. E. (2014). Peer support services for individuals with serious mental illnesses: Assessing the evidence. Psychiatric Services, 65(4), 429–441.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corrigan, P. W., Markowitz, F. E., & Watson, A. C. (2004). Structural levels of mental illness stigma and discrimination. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 30(3), 481–491.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, J. K. (2013). Predictors of job satisfaction among peer providers on professional treatment teams in community-based agencies. Psychiatric Services, 64(2), 181–184.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M., Delman, J., & Duperoy, T. (2013). Employment and careers in young adults with psychiatric disabilities. In M. Davis (Ed.), Tools for system transformation for young adults with psychiatric disabilities: State of the science (pp. 59–94). Retrieved from http://labs.umassmed.edu/transitionsrtc/Resources/publications/Compendium.pdf.

  • Department of Health and Human Services (2015). Informational bulletin: Coverage of early intervention services for first episode psychosis. Rockville, MD: Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/CIB-10-16-2015.pdf.

  • Frank, R. H., & Bernanke, B. S. (2007). Principles of microeconomics (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallon, S. (2002). Clinical supervision training manual. Portland, OR: Northwest Frontier ATTC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gates, L., & Akabas, S. (2007). Developing strategies to integrate peer providers into the staff of mental health agencies. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 34, 293–306.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gillard, S., Borschmann, R., Turner, K., Goodrich-Purnell, N., Lovell, K., & Chambers, M. (2010). What difference does it make? Finding evidence of the impact of mental health service user researchers on research into the experiences of detained psychiatric patients. Health Expectations, 13, 185–194.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hauser, C. (2015). Effects of employee social capital on wage satisfaction, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Retrieved from http://eeecon.uibk.ac.at/wopec2/repec/inn/wpaper/2015-12.pd.

  • Heinssen, R. K., Goldstein, A. B., & Azrin, S. T. (2014). Evidence-based treatments for first episode psychosis: Components of coordinated specialty care. Retrieved from http://gopher.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/nimh-white-paper-csc-for-fep_147096.pdf.

  • Hussain, T., & Saleem, S. (2014). Do employees’ job satisfaction, involvement and commitment mediate the relationship between quality of work life and employees’ retention? World Applied Sciences Journal, 30(2), 245–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leana, C. R., & Van Buren, H. J. (1999). Organizational social capital and employment practices. Academy of Management Review, 24(3), 538–555.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luthans, F., Youssef, C. M., & Avolio, B. J. (2007). Psychological capital: Investing and developing positive organizational behavior. In D. Nelson & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Positive organizational behavior: Accentuating the positive at work (pp. 9–24). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Moll, S., Holmes, J., Geronimo, J., & Sherman, D. (2009). Work transitions for peer support providers in traditional mental health programs: Unique challenges and opportunities. Work, 33(4), 449.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moran, G. S., Russinova, Z., Gidugu, V., & Gagne, C. (2013). Challenges experienced by paid peer providers in mental health recovery: A qualitative study. Community Mental Health Journal, 49(3), 281–291.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Newbury Park: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, R., MacGregor, A., Reid, S., & Given, L. (2012). Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) in self-help and mutual support groups. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 35(5), 403–405.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Radigan, M., Wang, R., Chen, Y., & Xiang, J. (2014). Youth and caregiver access to peer advocates and satisfaction with mental health services. Community Mental Health Journal, 50(8), 915–921.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seal, D. W., Bogart, L. M., & Ehrhardt, A. A. (1998). Small group dynamics: The utility of focus group discussions as a research method. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 2, 253–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, R. A. T., Delman, J., McKay, C. E., & Smith, L. M. (2015). Appealing features of vocational support services for Hispanic and non-Hispanic transition age youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 42(4), 452–465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Procedures and techniques for developing grounded theory (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Transformation Center (2014). GIFT training. Retrieved from http://www.speakingofhope.org/portfolio/gift-training.

  • Vestal, C. (2013). ‘Peers’ seen easing mental health worker shortage. Retrieved from http://khn.org/news/peer-mental-health-workers/.

  • Vorhies, V., Davis, K. E., Frounfelker, R. L., & Kaiser, S. M. (2012). Applying social and cultural capital frameworks: Understanding employment perspectives of transition age youth with serious mental health conditions. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 39(3), 257–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., Garza, N., & Levine, P. (2005). After high School: A first look at the postschool experiences of youth with disabilities: A report from the national longitudinal transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Retrieved from https://remote.umassmed.edu/fulltext/,DanaInfo=files.eric.ed.gov+ED494935.pdf.

  • Walker, J. S., & Gowen, L. K. (2011). Community-based approaches for supporting positive development in youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. Portland, OR: Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures, Portland State University. Retrieved from http://www.pathwaysrtc.pdx.edu/pdf/pbCmtyBasedApproaches09-2011.pdf.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The funding was provided by National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Grant No. H133B090018).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, The Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center, The University of Massachusetts Medical School, 12 Summer St., Stoneham, MA, 02180, USA

    Jonathan Delman

  2. Thresholds Research, 4101 North Ravenswood Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60613, USA

    Vanessa V. Klodnick

Authors
  1. Jonathan Delman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vanessa V. Klodnick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan Delman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Delman, J., Klodnick, V.V. Factors Supporting the Employment of Young Adult Peer Providers: Perspectives of Peers and Supervisors. Community Ment Health J 53, 811–822 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0059-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0059-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation