What Does It Take to Establish Mutuality and Form a Successful Peer to Peer Specialist Relationship?-View Presentation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the SMI webinar, hosted by Jose Villarreal of Erie Family Health Centers, the focus is on establishing mutuality in peer-to-peer specialist relationships. The session is eligible for continuing education credits and is guided by faculty members Patrick Henry, Vice President of Peer Advocacy, and Danielle Zavala, Associate Director at Mental Health America. The discussion revolves around achieving mutuality through shared lived experiences, addressing power imbalances, and embracing equity and empathy in peer support relationships.<br /><br />Patrick highlights the roots of peer support dating back to institutional deinstitutionalization, emphasizing its role as a change agent in the mental health system. Peer support is shown to improve quality of life, satisfaction with services, and reduce rehospitalization rates. Despite its effectiveness, there remains a need to expand peer support to marginalized communities, requiring funding and diverse workforce inclusion.<br /><br />Danielle underscores the importance of shared lived experiences in fostering peer relationships, emphasizing credibility and trust. She illustrates successful initiatives like using peers with intersecting identities for effective support groups and training programs. Danielle offers insight into recruiting a diverse workforce by addressing hiring processes, working conditions, and organizational culture.<br /><br />The webinar concludes with discussions on integrating peers into clinical teams, requiring openness and flexibility within organizations. The overarching theme is enhancing peer support through broader identity recognition and community-based initiatives, aiming to meet the increasing demand for mental health services post-COVID-19. Participants are encouraged to explore further consultations and upcoming webinars in the continuing series.

Keywords

peer support

mutuality

mental health

lived experiences

equity

empathy

diverse workforce

marginalized communities

continuing education

post-COVID-19