Purpose
– A novel integrated staffing model for community-based residential rehabilitation services is described. The purpose of this paper is to achieve synergistic gains through meaningful integration of peer support and clinical workers within rehabilitation teams. Key features include the majority of roles within the team being held by persons with a lived experience of mental illness, the active collaboration between peer and clinical workers throughout all stages of a consumer’s rehabilitation journey, and an organizational structure that legitimizes and emphasizes the importance of peer work within public mental health service delivery. This staffing model is not anticipated to alter the core rehabilitation function and service models.
Design/methodology/approach
– The emergence of the integrated staffing model is described with reference to the policy and planning context, the evidence base for peer support, and the organizational setting. A conceptual and contextualized description of the staffing model in practice as compared to a traditional clinical staffing model is provided.
Findings
– There is a potential for synergistic benefits through the direct collaboration between horizontally integrated peer and clinical specialists within a unified team working toward a common goal. This staffing model is novel and untested, and will be subjected to ongoing evaluation.
Originality/value
– The integrated staffing model may provide a pathway to achieving valued and valuable roles for peer workers working alongside clinical staff in providing rehabilitation support to people affected by serious mental illness.
Peer support is a well established component of many mental health services that provides a promising employment opportunity and recognises experience with mental illness as an asset rather than a liability. The overall aim of this paper is to discuss the challenges of implementing a peer support programme in a regional mental health service. In particular, the article discusses how the roles and functions of peer support workers have evolved and how challenges to service effectiveness were identified and overcome. The authors also examine the development of a related consumer companion role and consider the similarities and differences of peer support and consumer companion roles. Recommendations are made with respect to issues such as how allied health professionals views this role, what happens when peer support workers become ill and level of training and supervision.
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