title: Developing strategies to integrate peer providers into the staff of mental health agencies.
abstract: This study informs new strategies that promote integration of peer providers into the staff of social service agencies. Executive directors, human resource managers, supervisors and co-workers at 27 agencies in New York City were interviewed in-depth. Focus groups with peers were conducted. Consistent with previous research, respondents identified attitudes toward recovery, role conflict and confusion, lack of policies and practices around confidentiality, poorly defined job structure and lack of support as problems that undermined integration. Emerging from the data are strategies related to human resource policies and practices and workgroup relationships and operations that can improve employment of peer staff.
authors.affiliation: Center for Social Policy and Practice in the Workplace, Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027, USA. lbg13@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: Sheila H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Akabas
mesh_terms: D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008503:Medical Staff; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009519:New York City; D010379:Peer Group; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012947:Social Work