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Peer-to-Peer Resource Center at DBSA
E-mail: peersupport@DBSAlliance.org or lgoodale@DBSAlliance.org
Contact: Lisa Goodale
Location: Based in Chicago, IL
History: The Peer-to-Peer Resource Center was established in 2003 under a cooperative agreement with the federal Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). Under the agreement, the Center developed a model curriculum for training Peer Specialists (consumers who offer support to their peers in their recovery from mental illness), based on a review of such training programs throughout the U.S.
Current goals: To partner with VA healthcare facilities in training, certifying, and utilizing consumers to deliver support to their peers, and orienting professional staff to peer support as an integral component of recovery-oriented care
Original goals: same as above
Is the goal to be an effective intervention? Peer support has been proven to be an effective intervention with mental health consumers in a variety of settings.
Is it to bring consumers into a more active role in the VA system based on the intrinsic value of participation? Integrating Peer Specialists into VA healthcare brings value to professionals and consumers on many levels.
Is a goal to change the VA system or to provide additional support to the program without necessarily changing the overall organization? The VHA Strategic Plan for Mental Health Care and the President’s New Freedom Commission states that transformation to a recovery orientation is the ultimate goal, so change is a given.
Is your program an independent, peer-operated program or is it designed to add peers to already existing VA programs? Our program is consumer-operated and professionally advised and focuses on training and certifying consumers to operate within existing systems of care.
How do you refer to the peer participants in your program? The Peer-to-Peer Resource Center uses Peer Specialist as a generic term, but the facilities with which we partner use a variety of terminology: Certified Peer Specialist, Recovery Support Specialist, Peer Support Specialist, and others.
Are those involved nonprofessional peers or professionals who happen to have personal experiences in the mental health system? Our work focuses on training and certifying consumers who do not hold traditional mental health credentials.
How are peer educators/counselors recruited? Collaborating systems and facilities identify trainees through a locally-developed application process.
Are there specific requirements for becoming a peer educator/counselor and what do they include? Consumers participating in training take a certification examination following training. Collaborating systems and facilities set their own eligibility requirements for both training and employment.
Have any of your peer services been used in programs that integrate Mental Heath and physical health care services? Yes
If yes, please describe the program and any potential obstacles or programs.
Trained Peer Specialists work successfully in a variety of such settings.
Are peer educators/counselors paid or serving as volunteers? Primary purpose is to prepare consumers for paid employment; trained consumers may choose to work as volunteers.
What percentage is paid versus percentage volunteering? Determined by local systems/facilities
Do peers work full-time, part-time, and/or as needed? Determined by local systems/facilities
What are the percentages of people who work FT, PT as needed? Determined by local systems/facilities
What mechanism do you use for paying people within the VA system? Determined by local systems/facilities
If paid through direct VA employment, please include a job description. N/A
How much are peer educators/counselors paid? Determined by local systems/facilities; we strongly believe that Peer Specialists should be paid equitably and in accord with the value they bring to veteran care and services.
Is there a pay scale, if so what is the range? N/A
What is the average hourly wage? N/A
How much does the program cost to run annually and what are your sources of funding? N/A
Are there any training/certification requirements for the peer educators/counselors? Yes
If yes, what are the training requirements? The Peer-to-Peer Resource Center offers a 30-hour training program and administers a certification exam following completion of training. Local facilities/systems determine requirements for ongoing training.
Do you offer this training in-house? Yes
Who provides it, how many hours are offered and over what time duration, please describe? Training covers recovery philosophy, evidence-based practices, specific tools and skills used by peers, and workplace issues. Specific training topics include:
- The Role of Peer Support in the Recovery Process
- Orientation to Psychosocial Rehabilitation
- Program Environments that Promote Recovery
- Using Your Story as a Recovery Tool
- Facilitating Mutual Support Groups
- Effective Listening and the Art of Asking Questions
- Problem-Solving with Individuals
- Determining and Accomplishing Recovery Goals
- Dealing Effectively with Ethical and Workplace Issues
Other locally-specific topics are added as needed/requested.
Do you rely on any non-VA training programs? We are a non-profit organization that partners with VA facilities and systems on training and certification of Peer Specialists. Our training curriculum draws heavily from proven Peer Specialist training and certification programs, most specifically the Georgia Certified Peer Specialist program, the model for similar training programs in the states of Hawaii and South Carolina and throughout the U.S.
How long are they? Varies
If you do not rely on non-VA training programs, are there programs in your area that you would like to utilize? N/A
What are some of the issues that have arisen related to self-disclosure by consumers and professionals and how have they been dealt with? Peer Specialists must agree to self-disclosure as a condition of participation in training and in their work.
How have you dealt with role boundaries? Successful partnering systems/facilities have a specific Code of Ethics, procedural guidelines, and self-monitoring in place that guide Peer Specialists.
Are there other legal/ethical issues and liabilities that you have encountered and how have they been addressed? Peer Specialists are subject to the legal and ethical guidelines of the workplace, the same as any other employee or volunteer.
Do peer counselors/educators document their work in the medical record? Determined by local systems/facilities
How do you deal with potential professional staff and/or non-consumer staff resistance? Such resistance and/or lack of understanding is common and natural. The Peer-to-Peer Resource Center assists facilities and systems in identifying and addressing challenges (real and perceived) in a collaborative manner.
Have there been specific things you or others have done to get staff buy-in? Send a strong message from the top that this is a priority, interpret this shift to a recovery focus and its connection to the MH Strategic Plan. Clearly delineate the complimentary roles of professionals and Peer Specialists. Provide examples of how this concept has been put in place successfully in other venues, and evidence of its effectiveness. Provide opportunities to openly share questions and dialogue on solutions (we have facilitated such sessions in VISN 17).
Have you encountered consumers/peers who have been critical of professional staff and/or non-consumer staff and how have you handled this? Peer Specialists are prepared to act professionally and ethically with their co-workers, and to deal productively with issues of power and conflict in the workplace.
Have there been conflicting views or issues associated with different views regarding consumers being compliments with treatment professionals or substitutes? The Center’s work prepares consumers to carry out their unique role as an adjunct to (not a replacement for) professional care.
Have you or others collected any outcome or evaluative data on your peer support program/initiative? Systems/facilities with which we have partnered are gathering data. See report of Vets Helping Vets, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.
Please describe the findings of these data …. See above.
If no, have you considered conducting any research to explore the impact of your peer support program? The Peer-to-Peer Resource Center is currently collaborating on an NIMH-funded research grant which will evaluate outcomes of persons served by Peer Specialists, and we would be a willing partner in other such research studies.
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