Peer Worker Perspectives on Their Potential Role in the Success of Implementing Recovery-Oriented Practice in a Clinical Mental Health Setting

Abstract

Purpose: Recovery-oriented practice (ROP) is growing internationally in mental health services. The study aimed to examine the perspectives of peer workers about ROP pre-implementation within one service. This is important to improve clinicians' understandings of how service users feel and experience the organization's culture, thereby improving recovery focus.Method: A focus group using semi-structured questions. The research design was a social constructivist exploratory study, utilizing a narrative approach. The data collected were qualitative, and analyzed for meaning units and categories in the data.Results: Eight participants were service user and carer peer workers. Peer workers considered their roles as educating clinicians, representing service users, aiding in cultural/systemic shifts in services, and as leaders. Peer workers add lived experience and can contribute to clinician uptake and fidelity of practice in ROP.Conclusion: The study contributes to the growing evidence that the inclusion of peer workers in mental health services is advantageous in the implementation of ROP to ensure a lived experience grounded perspective underpins practice and policy change.

Keywords: Recovery-oriented practice; co-design; coproduction; critical social work; mental health; peer workers; practice-based research.