Research published in the Scientific Journal Psychiatric Services shows that SHARE! the Self-Help And Recovery Exchange, a peer-run organization, significantly enhanced the workplace for peer workers through its supervision training program. The training sessions, specifically designed to strengthen the mental health peer workforce, were evaluated in a survey conducted in 2018-2020.
The study assessed the effectiveness of the training among peer support workers and their supervisors at 85 mental health service sites in California. SHARE!’s Chief Program Officer Jason Robison will highlight some of these key findings at the 4th Annual Online Peer Workforce Conference: Bridging Research and Practice taking place Wednesday, Jan. 31.
Jessica Wolf and Jason Robison
“The results indicate that the training played a crucial role in fostering a supportive environment for peer support workers, a factor essential for worker retention,” said SHARE!’s Director of Training, Libby Hartigan. “We are grateful that we are able to use SHARE!’s ability to develop innovative training programs tailored to the needs of the peer workforce and will continue to our ongoing commitment to providing quality, evidence-based training to empower peers in addressing mental health, substance use, homelessness, trauma, incarceration and more.”
Principal Author Louis Brown, a tenured Associate Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, stated that despite the substantial growth of peer workers in the mental health workforce, limited research has explored effective support and supervision for peer support workers. Brown said the findings suggest the training increased the value organizations place on peer work, potentially improving peer worker retention. He advocated for the incorporation of training principles into worksite practices to achieve better outcomes.
Training on Developmental Model
Co-author Jessica Wolf, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University, shared her satisfaction in contributing to SHARE!’s state-funded Supervision of the Peer Workforce project. With almost 30 years as a peer-run agency, SHARE! integrated a robust evaluation into the training project which led to this publication. Wolf noted that Psychiatric Services is a highly respected journal focusing on mental health services and workforce development.
“We at SHARE! extend our gratitude to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and the California Department of Health Care Access and Information for their support of this training project,” said CEO Brian Ulf.
About SHARE!
Since 1993, SHARE! the Self-Help and Recovery Exchange has served Los Angeles through self-help support groups and building communities which provide recovery and social support. Participants at SHARE!’s community self-help centers, peer respite and SHARE! Collaborative Housing develop skills to cope with substance use, trauma, mental health disorders and dysfunctional relationships. SHARE! Collaborative Housing contributes to ending homelessness in Los Angeles by providing its successful model of housing those in need within the first couple of days of contact, and ensuring they are aware of the services available to them including self-help support groups. This proven formula provides homeless people a pathway out of poverty and a way back to becoming full participants in society. For more information visit shareselfhelp.org.