The Competencies of Telehealth Peer Support: Perceptions of Peer Support Specialists and Supervisors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This report assesses the competencies and technology needed for the provision of Telehealth Peer Support by Peer Support Specialists . The online survey assessed access to technology, core competencies required for the delivery of ThPS, and resources needed by the workforce to deliver ThPS. Responses from 313 PSS and 164 managers/supervisors of PSS from New York State were analyzed. Findings indicate nearly one-quarter of the PSS workforce continues to need access to technology and one-third need training in the delivery of ThPS. Perceptions of the important, critical, and most frequently used competencies for the delivery of ThPS were rated similarly by PSS and managers/supervisors. The broad implementation of effective ThPS requires additional resources and training for the PSS workforce. Further research to validate the ThPS competencies identified in the study will enhance training programs and resources. Policy makers and those who have advocated for the continued delivery of ThPS post-stay at home orders should ensure programs delivering ThPS provide access to technology and skills training in the competencies of ThPS. The use of ThPS post COVID-19 may address some persistent service barriers such as rural access and areas with fewer available services.

Providing peer navigation services to women with a history of opioid misuse pre- and post-release from jail: A program description

“…Although the recent growth in telehealth recovery support has expanded access and reach of services, 32 recent research suggests that many peers may lack the additional resources (e.g., technology) necessary to conduct telehealth-based services, and that telehealth services may require a distinct set of competencies to deliver effectively. 33 Under COVID, many peers report increased engagement with new job duties (e.g., coordination of resources) and less time spent providing individual support or group facilitation, 34 suggesting that peer services delivered remotely may require targeted trainings to prepare peers for the challenges and responsibilities of a remote role.…”

Digitization in health-related self-help – Results of an online survey among self-help organizations in Germany

“…On a very general level, the following conclusions can be drawn about digitization in mutual self-help: In order to strengthen the SHOs’ competencies for digitization, further targeted and advanced training offers are required. 22, 23 These are to be provided within the framework of the self-help funding according to Germany’s SGB V § 20 h. Just as important is the bundling of existing services and their provision to interested SHOs (and SHGs), e.g., in the form of a joint platform. An overview of existing tools and their quality assessment could be a first building block for this. Large, long-established SHOs often serve as models for the (non-) digitization of other organizations.…”

Evaluation of post-discharge engagement for emergency department patients with opioid use history who received telehealth recovery coaching services

“…The primary outcome-the rate of successful follow-ups recorded in the PRC tracking database-is de ned as the number of times a PRC successfully spoke with the patient each month of attempted follow-up. Within the available datasets, this served as the best factor for assessing the PRC program's success at facilitating collaborative and engaging relationships with patients, a key function of their professional role [33].…”

“…the intervention did not have explicit medication linkage goals; (b) the rural areas in which more than half the hospitals were set lacked robust options for medication-based treatment for opioid use disorder; [2] and (c) it is (and possibly more) valuable to link clients to harm reduction and recovery supports when medication-based treatments are not available or desired. Furthermore, as is appropriate for the profession [33], telehealth PRCs' role in this program was to assist patients in following their chosen recovery paths and, for this study, only a small proportion (6%) chose medication-based treatment options.…”

“…While this has not been speci cally established with telehealth PRC services, Collins et al [10] did nd that ED providers who moved to telehealth felt it was more di cult to form relationships with patients who used opioids. Additionally, research by Spagnolo et al [33] identi ed several barriers to telehealth technology utilization among peer workers, which could futher impact initial and future patient engagement.…”